1. Arkansas Became a State: On April 2, 1836, Arkansas officially became the 25th state in the United States. Prior to this, it had been a territory since 1819.

2. Robert E. Lee in Arkansas: Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general best known for leading the Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War, arrived in Arkansas on April 2, 1870. He was traveling as part of a fact-finding mission sent by the federal government to investigate political unrest in the state.

3. Deadly Tornadoes: On April 2, 1922, a series of devastating tornadoes tore through parts of central and eastern Arkansas, killing at least 22 people and injuring 110 others. The storm system caused widespread damage to homes, businesses, and farmland.

4. Integration of Arkansas Schools: On April 2, 1964, Governor Orval Faubus signed a law formally ending segregation in Arkansas schools. The law came several years after a watershed moment in the state's civil rights history, when nine black students attempted to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

5. Arkansas Wins NCAA Championship: On April 2, 1994, the University of Arkansas men's basketball team won its first-ever NCAA championship. Led by coach Nolan Richardson and future NBA star Corliss Williamson, the Razorbacks defeated Duke University 76-72 in the championship game.