1. On September 2, 1963, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech at the dedication of the Sardis Lake Dam in southeastern Oklahoma. The dam was constructed to control flooding and provide hydroelectric power to the area.

2. In 1915, a deadly tornado struck the town of Antlers, Oklahoma on September 2. The tornado killed 26 people and injured over 50. It remains one of the deadliest tornadoes in Oklahoma history.

3. The Oklahoma City bombing, which took place on April 19, 1995, began with the purchase of ammonium nitrate fertilizer on September 2, 1994, by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. The bombing, which killed 168 people and injured over 680, remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.

4. The University of Central Oklahoma opened its doors on September 2, 1891, as the Territorial Normal School in Edmond. It was the first institution of higher education in the Oklahoma Territory and today is one of the largest universities in the state.

5. On September 2, 1945, V-J Day was celebrated in Oklahoma and around the world. The day marked the official end of World War II after Japan's surrender. Many Oklahomans had served in the war effort, and the state played an important role in training military personnel and manufacturing war materials.