1. On May 2, 1863, during the American Civil War, the Battle of Chancellorsville took place in Virginia. Many soldiers from Georgia fought in this battle, including Confederate General Robert E. Lee, who led the Confederate forces to victory despite being outnumbered by Union troops.

2. In 1885, the city of Atlanta was selected as the site of the third International Cotton Exposition, which took place on May 2 of that year. The exposition was a showcase of the cotton industry, which was a major source of wealth for Georgia at the time.

3. May 2, 1952, was the birthdate of actress Christine Baranski, who was born in Buffalo, New York. Baranski has strong ties to Georgia, having graduated from the Juilliard School in New York City with fellow actor Jeff Daniels, who is a co-founder of the Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan. The company produced the premiere production of Baranski's play Regrets Only in 2006.

4. On May 2, 1972, Georgia Tech freshman basketball player Bobby Cremins was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year. This was the first in a long line of accomplishments for Cremins, who went on to have a highly successful coaching career at Georgia Tech, leading the team to the Final Four in 1990.

5. Finally, May 2, 1989, was the birthdate of professional baseball player Charlie Blackmon, who was born in Suwanee, Georgia. Blackmon currently plays for the Colorado Rockies and is a four-time MLB All-Star and winner of the National League batting title in 2017.