1. Des Moines Register, Iowa's largest newspaper, was founded on October 2, 1849. It has won numerous Pulitzer Prizes and is still in publication today.
2. Iowa State University, located in Ames, Iowa, was officially established on October 2, 1862, as part of the Morrill Act, which provided federal land grants for the establishment of universities with a focus on agriculture and engineering.
3. On October 2, 1890, the Women's Christian Temperance Union held its national convention in Des Moines, Iowa. The organization was founded in 1874 to promote the prohibition of alcohol and the improvement of public morals and has played a significant role in Iowa's history of temperance and women's rights.
4. Ole Rømer, a Danish astronomer, was born on October 2, 1644. He is best known for his contributions to the measurement of the speed of light and for discovering the first extrasolar planet. Rømer spent several years living and working in Iowa, including teaching at the University of Iowa.
5. On October 2, 1970, a small Iowa town gained national attention when a group of men calling themselves the "yippies" staged a mock political convention, complete with flying saucers and a giant joint. The event was held in the town of Mount Vernon, Iowa, and was intended to protest the Vietnam War and draw attention to the youth counterculture movement.