1. On April 2, 1796, the legislation creating Hancock County in Georgia was signed. Hancock County was named after John Hancock, a prominent patriot and signatory of the Declaration of Independence.

2. In 1845, on April 2, the Treaty of New Echota was signed. This treaty resulted in the forced removal of the Cherokee people from their ancestral lands in Georgia and other southeastern states to present-day Oklahoma. The infamous Trail of Tears resulted from this treaty, and thousands of Cherokee people died during the forced relocation.

3. On April 2, 1865, during the Civil War, Confederate General John B. Gordon surrendered his forces to Union General George Stoneman in Kingston, Georgia. This surrender was one of the last major events of the Civil War in Georgia.

4. April 2, 1931, marks the birthdate of Georgia-born author and activist Alice Walker. Walker is best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple. She is also a poet, essayist, and social justice advocate.

5. In 1982, on April 2, the Atlanta Braves played their first game in their new home, the newly constructed Fulton County Stadium. The Braves played their previous home games at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, which was demolished to make way for the new stadium. Fulton County Stadium was the home of the Braves until the construction of Turner Field in 1997.