2 nd January

1492 The Spanish army took the city of Granada from the Moors.

1900 Queen Victoria declared, “We are not amused.” (See January 22nd, February 10th, May 24th, and June 20th entries.)

1968 The first successful human heart transplant operation was performed.

1990 The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose above the 2,800 mark. (See January 8th and November 14th entries.)

Many other figures throughout history could, no doubt, agree with the attitude voiced by Queen Victoria on this second day of the year in 1900, when she regally declared, “We are not amused.” Certainly the Moors would have agreed with her in 1492, when on this date, the Spanish army took their beloved city of Granada. Looking back at those times, the present seems infinitely simpler. Everything and nothing is shocking or unexpected these days. The modem world’s collective attitude could probably be summed up by saying: “We are not amazed.” The world may now be characterized by escalating prices, but it’s also elevated by great accomplishments. Dr. Christian Barnard achieved the unthinkable on this date in 1968. He performed the first successful human heart transplant operation, capturing the world’s imagination and opening a whole new medical frontier. And on the business front, this was the day, in 1990, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average topped the 2,800 mark for the first time in its history.