On August 4, 1897, Henry Rucker was appointed as the Collector of Internal Revenue for Georgia by President William McKinley. This was a significant appointment because Rucker, an African American, was placed in a prominent federal position during the post-Reconstruction era, a time when racial discrimination and segregation were intensifying in the South.

Rucker’s tenure as collector was met with resistance from white Democrats, but he remained in office for several years, using his position to advocate for African American political and economic rights. His appointment was part of McKinley’s broader effort to secure Black political support in the South, despite increasing disenfranchisement efforts during that period.

On August 4, 1885, William C. Carter patented an umbrella stand, a simple yet practical design to hold umbrellas, typically in an upright position. This patent contributed to the development of home and office furniture accessories, making it easier to store umbrellas in an organized manner. Carter’s design was likely to have been intended for use in homes, offices, and public spaces, where people needed a place to keep their umbrellas after use, especially in areas with frequent rainfall. This invention was particularly useful in homes and businesses, as it addressed the need for a practical way to store wet umbrellas, preventing them from creating a mess or damaging furniture.

On August 4, 1964, the bodies of three civil rights workers—James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner—were discovered in an earthen dam near Philadelphia, Mississippi. The three men had been missing since June 21, 1964, when they were arrested by local police in Neshoba County, then released and subsequently ambushed and murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan.

Their disappearance was part of a larger campaign of violence and intimidation against civil rights activists during Freedom Summer, a movement aimed at registering African American voters in Mississippi. The FBI launched an investigation, codenamed “Mississippi Burning,” which led to the arrest of several Klansmen. However, state authorities initially refused to prosecute for murder, and it wasn’t until 1967 that seven individuals were convicted on federal conspiracy charges—none serving more than six years in prison.

The murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner became a turning point in the civil rights movement, galvanizing national outrage and helping to build momentum for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

On August 4, 1953, a Black family moved into the Trumbull Park Homes, a public housing project in the South Deering neighborhood of Chicago. This event marked the beginning of a violent and sustained backlash from white residents, highlighting the deep-seated racial tensions in the city.

The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) had initially designated Trumbull Park as whites-only, but after mistakenly identifying a Black woman, Betty Howard, as white, she and her husband were allowed to move in. When the mistake was realized, CHA decided to allow more Black families to move in rather than evict the Howards. This decision led to months of violent protests, vandalism, and harassment by white mobs, who resisted integration with hostility.

The city government and police struggled to control the violence, often siding with white protesters rather than protecting Black residents. The hostility persisted for several years, making it one of the most notorious instances of racial housing conflict in mid-20th-century Chicago.

This event highlighted systemic racism in housing policies and the deep resistance to integration in Northern cities, despite the perception that segregation was primarily a Southern issue. It became a significant chapter in the larger civil rights struggle for fair housing and racial equality in the United States.

On August 4, 1936, John “Long John” Woodruff won the Olympic gold medal in the 800-meter run at the Berlin Olympics. He was just 21 years old and a student at the University of Pittsburgh at the time.

Woodruff’s victory was remarkable because he had to slow down mid-race to escape being boxed in by other runners. Once he found an opening, he used his incredible stride and speed to surge ahead and win the race. His performance was a stunning display of tactical racing and raw athleticism.

His victory was also significant in the context of the 1936 Olympics, where Jesse Owens and other African American athletes disproved Nazi Germany’s racist ideologies by dominating the competition.

Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, a pioneering African American surgeon, passed away on August 4, 1931. He is best known for performing one of the first successful open-heart surgeries in 1893.

Dr. Williams also founded Provident Hospital in Chicago in 1891, the first Black-owned and operated hospital in the United States, which provided opportunities for Black medical professionals and served Black patients who were often denied care elsewhere. His contributions to medicine and racial equity in healthcare were groundbreaking and left a lasting legacy.

On August 4, 1901, Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He became one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, known for his gravelly voice, virtuosic trumpet playing, and charismatic stage presence. Armstrong helped shape jazz into a leading art form, with hits like What a Wonderful World, Hello, Dolly!, and When the Saints Go Marching In.