On this day, Roy Campanella, star catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the National League for the third time in his career (previous wins in 1951 and 1953). He was only the second African American player to win the MVP award, after Jackie Robinson. Known for his powerful hitting and exceptional defensive skills behind the plate, Campanella was a key figure in breaking racial barriers in Major League Baseball.

On this day, the citizens of South Carolina voted in favor of holding a constitutional convention as part of the Reconstruction process following the Civil War. The results were historic:

• 66,418 Black voters and 2,350 white voters supported the convention.

• 2,278 white voters opposed it.

• Not a single Black voter voted against the convention.

• The total votes cast were 71,046.

This overwhelming support from Black citizens—many voting for the first time—demonstrated a unified push for equal rights and a new political order in the South. The convention would go on to draft a progressive constitution guaranteeing civil rights, public education, and more equitable representation.