1929-John Conyers, Jr , was born
Congressman John Conyers, Jr , the founder of the Congressional Black Caucus was born.
1960-President Eisenhower signed Civil Rights Act of 1960.
President Eisenhower signed Civil Rights Act of 1960. The Civil Rights Act of 1960 (Pub.L. 86–449, 74 Stat. 89, enacted May 6, 1960) was a United... Continue →
1886-Inventor M. A. Cherry patented the Tricycle.
On May 6, 1886, M. A. Cherry created the tricycle a three wheeled vehicle that is used for transportation.
1878-Joseph Richard Winters receives patent for the wagon-mounted fire escape ladder.
Joseph Richard Winters was an African-American abolitionist and inventor who, on May 7, 1878 received U.S. Patent number 203,517 for a wagon-mounted... Continue →
1925-Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was organized
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Poters (BSCP) ,an influential African American labor union, was organized by Founding President A. Philip Randolph,... Continue →
1750-The South Carolina Gazette reports that a South Carolina slave named Caesar granted freedom.
The South Carolina Gazette reports that a South Carolina slave and medical practitioner named Caesar granted freedom and lifetime... Continue →
1950-Jackie Robinson appears on cover of Life Magazine
Jackie Robinson appears on the cover of Life Magazine. This marked the first time an African American was featured on the cover of Life Magazine is... Continue →
1933-Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr was born on this day.
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr , born Louis Eugene Walcott, was born on this day.
1958-Summit Meeting of National Negro Leaders called
Summit meeting of National Negro Leaders called for stepped up campaign againts discrimination and desegregation. Then President Eisenhower was... Continue →
1914-Joseph Luis Barrow (Joe Louis) was born on this day
JOSEPH LOUIS BARROW (Joe Louis) was born on this day. Joseph Luis Barrow , the legendary "Brown Bomber," is still considered by many to be the... Continue →
1969-John B. Mclendon becomes first African American professional head coach.
John B. Mclendon becomes first African American American Basketball Association (ABA) head coach and the first African American professional head... Continue →
1946-Camilla Ella Williams debuts in Madam Butterfly.
Camilla Ella Williams, believed to be the first African American women to sign a contract with a major American opera company, appears in the role of... Continue →
1867-Howard University, was established.
On this dated in 1867, Howard University, in Washington, D. C. named for General Oliver O. Howard, was established.
1920-First game of the National Negro Baseball League
First game of the National Negro Baseball League played in Indianapolis.
1845-Macon Bolling Allen passes bar examination
Macon Bolling Allen, first African American lawyer admitted to the bar, passed examination at Worchester, Massachusetts. Macon B. Allen was the... Continue →
1897-J. H. Smith patents Lawn Sprinkler
J. H. Smith patents Lawn Sprinkler May 4, 1897. Patent Number 581785.
1896-Cowboy Bill Pickett earns the title of inventor of Bull Dogging
Cowboy Bill Pickett invented the technique of bulldogging, the skill of grabbing cattle by the horns and wrestling them to the ground. It was known... Continue →
1905-Robert Sengstacke Abbott finds the Chicago Defender calling it,
Robert S. Abbott was founded The Chicago Defender with an initial investment of 25 cents. The Defender, which was once heralded as "The World's... Continue →
1988 - Dr. Patricia E. Bath, a remowned opthalmologist and inventor, patents Laserphaco Probe on this day.
Dr. Patricia E. Bath, a renowned ophthalmologist and inventor, patented the Laserphaco Probe, a medical device that improves on the use of lasers to... Continue →
1962 - Ernie Davis dies
Ernie Davis, an American football halfback at Syracuse University and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy in 1961, dies... Continue →
1965 - Patricia Roberts Harris becomes ambassador to Luxembourg.
Patricia Roberts Harris names ambassador to Luxembourg. She was the first African American woman ambassador. Quote -"You do not seem to... Continue →
1952-Boxer Marvin Hagler born on this date
Boxer Marvelous Marvin Hagler born in Newark, New jersey on this date. Marvelous Marvin Hagler was the undisputed middleweight champion of the world... Continue →
1921 - Christopher J Perry, founder of The Philadlphia Tribune, dies.
Christopher J. Perry, a pioneering black businessman who championed racial equality, established the Philadelphia Tribune in 1884. The Tribune is... Continue →
1959 - Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. becomes first African American general in the U.S. Air Force.
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., pilot, officer, and administrator, became the first African American officer to reach the rank of major general (a two-star... Continue →
1871 - Landrow Bell patents Locomotive Smoke Stack on this day.
Landrow Bell patents Locomotive Smoke Stack on this day. Patent #115,153.
1951 - Racial Segregation in Washington, D. C. ruled illegal by city's Municipal Court of Appeals.
Racial Segregation in Washington, D. C. ruled illegal by the city's Municipal Court of Appeals.
1926 - Trumpeter Miles Davis is born on this date.
Miles Davis, American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer was born on this date. Miles Davis was, together with his musical... Continue →
1969 - National Black Economic Development Conference adopts manifesto
National Black Economic Development Conference adopted manifesto in Detroit meeting calling for $500 Million in reparations from white churches.
1942 - Doris (Dorie) Miller awarded Navy Cross on this date.
Doris (Dorie) Miller, a Messman Third Class in the United States Navy noted for his bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941,... Continue →
1944 - Singer Gladys Knight was born on this date.
Singer, songwriter, businesswoman, humanitarian and author Gladys Knight , "The Empress of Soul" was born in Atlanta, Georgia on this date.
1973 - Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley elected Mayor of Los Angeles on this date.
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley elected Mayor of Los Angeles on this date. Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, serving from 1973 to 1993. He was... Continue →
1943 - Gale Eugene Sayers was born on this date.
Gale Eugene Sayers, also known as "The Kansas Comet", was born on this date in Wichita, Kansas. Sayers' is a former American college and... Continue →
1955 - Supreme Court ordered school integration.
On May 31, 1955, The Supreme Court ruled in what became known as "Brown II,” that the task of carrying out school desegregation was delegated to... Continue →
1994 - South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth
South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth after an absence of 33 years.
1843 - Sojourner Truth begins career as antislavery activist on this date.
Sojourner Truth leaves New York and begins career as an antislavery activist.
1835 - The 5th National Negro Convention takes on the word negro
The 5th National Negro Convention meets in Philadelphia and urged African Americans to abandon the use of terms "African" and "colored" when... Continue →
1975 - James A. Healy, becomes first African American Roman Catholic Bishop on this date.
James A. Healy, first African American Roman Catholic Bishop, consecrated in the cathedral at Portland, Maine.
1951 - Kenneth Irvine Chenault, an African American business executive born on this date.
Kenneth Irvine Chenault is an American business executive. Chenault has been the CEO and Chairman of American Express since 2001and is the third... Continue →
1949 - Wesley A. Brown becomes first African American graduate of Annapolis Naval Academy.
Wesley A. Brown becomes first African American graduate of Annapolis Naval Academy.
1991 - Baltimore Orioles Manager Frank Robinson names Assistant General Manager on this date
Baltimore Orioles Manager Frank Robinson names Assistant General Manager on this date. Robinson was the third African American to become an... Continue →
1973 - Doris A. Davis becomes the first African-American woman mayor of a metropolitan city in the United States.
Doris A. Davis, of Compton California, becomes the first African-American woman mayor of a metropolitan city in the United States.
1956 - Montgomery buses segregated on this date.
Federal Court Rules that racial segregation on Montgomery City buses violated Constitution.
1987 - Mae C. Jemison chosen to be an astronaut on thuis date.
Mae C. Jemison, M. D. was chosen by NASA to begin training as a space shuttle astronaut on this date.
2015 - Golfer Calvin Pete passes away on this date.
Calvin Peete was a professional golfer who won 12 PGA events during his long career. Peete was famous for his ability to hit long and accurate... Continue →
1930 - New York Times adopted the captilized spelling of the term Negro
Respecting Negro demand, the New York Times announces that the "N" in the word "Negro" and "Negress" would be capitalized in its pages. The New York... Continue →
1982 - Satchel Paige, passes away on this date.
Legendary Pitcher Satchel Paige dies in Kansas City, Missouri. Satchel was an American Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball pitcher who... Continue →
1948 - Oliver W. Hill elected to Richmond City Council on this date.
Oliver W. Hill elected to Richmond, Virginia, City Council becoming the first African American to do so since Reconstruction.
1946 - Boxer Jack Johnson dies on this date.
Heavy Weight Boxer Jack Johnson dies on this date.
1898 - Oscar Award Winning Actress Hattie McDanial born on this date.
Oscar Award Winning Actress Hattie McDanial born on this date.
1760 - AME founder Richard Allen was born on this date.
African Methodist Episcopal Church founder Richard Allen was born on this date. Allen was born a slave near Philadelphia.
1964 - Nelson Mandela sentnced to Life imprisonment on this date.
Nelson Mandela was sentenced to Life imprisonment for allegedly attempting to sabotage the White South African government.
1930 - U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel born on this date.
United States Congressman Charles Rangel born on this date
1972 - The National Black MBA Assciation is incorporated.
The National Black MBA Assciation is incorporated.
1963 - Medgar W. Evers assissinated.
Medgar W. Evers , NAACP field secretary in Mississippi, assassinated in front of his Jackson home by a segregationist.
1967 - Thurgood Marshall become First African American Supreme Court Justice.
Thurgood Marshall, United States Solicitor General, name to the Supreme Court by President Johnson. Marshall was confirmed by the Senate on August... Continue →
1989 - Congressman William Gray elected Democratic Whip
Congressman William Gray elected Democratic Whip of the House of Representatives, the highest ranking position ever held by a African American in... Continue →
1970 - Cheryl Adrienne Brown wins Miss Iowa pageant.
Cheryl Adrienne Brown wins Miss Iowa pageant and becomes the first African American to compete in the Miss America beauty pageant.
1877 - Henry O. Flipper graduates West Point.
Henry O. Flipper receives degree at West Point and becomes the first African American graduate.
2002 - Tiger Woods wins U. S. Open Gold Tournament.
Tiger Woods wins U. S. Open Gold Tournament.
1969 - Clayton Powell Jr. suspension deemed unconstitutional.
United States Supreme Court rules that the suspension of Clayton Powel Jr. from the House of Representatives was unconstitutional.
1957 - Tuskegee Boycott began
Tuskegee Boycott began. African American's boycotted city stores in protest against act of state legislature that deprived them of municipal votes... Continue →
1968 - Housing Discrimination banned.
Supreme Court banned racial discrimination in sale and rental of housing.
1862 - Slavery Abolished in United States territories.
Slavery Abolished in United States territories in congress.
1953 - Albert W. Dent elected President of National Health Council.
Albert W. dent, president of Dillard University, elected president of National Health Council.
1967 - Muhammad Ali convicted for violating Selective Service Act.
Muhammad Ali convicted in Houston, Texas in federal court for violating Selective Service Act by refusing induction into the armed services. Ali was... Continue →
1943 - National Congress of Racial Equality organized.
National Congress of Racial Equality organized
1923 - Marcus Garvey sentnced to five years in prison.
Marcus Garvey sentenced to five years in prison after his conviction on charges of using the mail to defraud.
1915 -U.S. Supreme Court said"Grandfather Clause" violated the 15th Amendment.
United States Supreme Court (Guinn v United States) said "Grandfather Clause" in the Oklahoma and Maryland constitutions violated the 15th Amendment.
1970 - Richard Nixon signed bill extending Voting Rights
Richard Nixon signed bill extending Voting Rights Act of 1965 to 1975.
1937 - Joe Louis defeats Braddock
Joe Louis defeated James J. Barddock for heavyweight boxing championship.
1949 - Ezzard Charles defeats Jersey Joe Walcott
Ezzard Charles defeats Jersey Joe Walcott for the world heavy weight championship.
2003 - Maynard Jackson, three term mayor of Atlanta, dies.
Maynard Jackson, three term mayor of Atlanta, dies at the age of 65.
1940 - Three time Olympian Wilma Rudolph was born on this date.
Wilma Glodean Rudolph, the first African American women to with three gold medals, was born on this dated in Clarksville, Tennessee.
1936 - Mary Mcleod Bethune named Director of Negro Affairs.
Mary Mcleod Bethune , founder-president of Bethune-Cookman College, named Director of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration. Mary was... Continue →
1884 - John R. lynch elected temporary chairman of Republican convention.
John R. Lynch, former congressman from Mississippi, elected temporary chairmen of Republican convention and becomes the first African American to... Continue →
1968 - Lincoln Alexander become member of Canadian Parliament.
Lincoln Alexander becomes the first black member of the Canadian Parliament.
1876 - Isaiah Dorman dies at battle to Little Bighorn.
Isaiah Dorman dies at battle to Little Bighorn under the leadership of Colonel George Custer.
1959 - Prince Edward County abandons school system
Prince Edward County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors abandoned school system to prevent integration.
1938 - James Weldon Johnson dies in automobile accident.
James Weldon Johnson dies of injuries received in an automobile accident near his summer home in Wiscosset, Maine.
1934 - W. E. B. DuBois resigns from NAACP.
W. E. B. DuBois resigns from his position at the NAACP in a disagreement over policy and racial strategy.
1991 - Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall anounces retirement.
United States Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall announces his retirement.
1939 - Frederick Jones invents the ticket dispensing machine.
Frederick Jones invents the ticket dispensing machine, patent #2163754.
1874 - Freeman's Bank Closed
Freedman's Bank closed. African American depositors had some $3 million in the bank. The Freedman's Bank had an imposing headquarters in... Continue →
1972 - NAACP Annual Report
The NAACP annual report said the unemployment of "urban blacks in 1971 was worse than at anytime since the great depression of the thirties." The... Continue →
1968 - Louisiana legislature met in New Orleans
Louisiana legislature met in New Orleans. The temporary chairman of the house was African American Representative, R. H. Isabelle. Oscar J.... Continue →
1967 - Major Robert H. Lawrence Jr. named First African American astronaut.
Major Robert H. Lawrence Jr. named First African American astronaut. Major Lawrence was killed during a training flight on December 8, 1967.
1917 - Actress -Singer Lena Horne was born on this date.
Actress -Singer Lena Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1992 - Dr. Mae Jemison becomes First African-American woman in space.
Dr. Mae Jemison became the first African-American woman in space when she launched from the Kennedy Center to join Spacelab J, a joint U.S.-Japanese... Continue →
1990 - Nelson Mandela is released
Nelson Mandela's greatest pleasure, his most private moment, is watching the sun set with the music of Handel or Tchaikovsky playing. Locked up in... Continue →
1492 - Alonzo Pietro sets sail with Christopher Columbus
Alonzo Pietro, explorer, sets sail with Christopher Columbus.
1916 - Marcus Garvey arrives in US from Jamaica
Marcus Mosiah Garvey arrives in America from Jamaica.
1959 - African Freedom Day Declared
African Freedom Day is declared at the All-African People's Conference in Accra, Ghana.
1970 - Representatives from 27 African nations meet for the first Congress of African People.
On this date in 1970, Representatives from 27 African nations, the Caribbean nations, four South American countries, Australia, and the U.S. meet in... Continue →
1891 - John Stephens Durham names minister of Haiti
John Stephens Durham, assistant editor of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, named minister to Haiti.
1960 - Leopold Sedar Senghor elected President of Senegal.
On this date in 1960, Leopold Sedar Senghor, poet, politician, is elected President of Senegal.
1968 - Independence Day - The Kingdom of Swaziland
On this date in 1968, the Kingdom of Swaziland was founded.
1957 - Ghana breaks colonial mold.
On this day in 1957, Ghana becomes a free self-governing nation. This country will be the first of the British Commonwealth of Nations to be... Continue →
1961 - Jomo Kenyatta returns to Kenya from exile to lead his country
On this date in 1961, Jomo Kenyatta returns to Kenya from exile to lead his country.
1930 - Charles E. Mitchell named minister to Liberia
on this date in 1930, Charles E. Mitchell, certified public accountant and banker from West Virginia, named minister to Liberia.
1913 - George W. Buckner named minister to Liberia
On this date in 1913, George W. Buckner, a physician from Indiana, named minister to Liberia.
1974 - Haile Selassie I is deposed from the Ethiopian throne.
On this date in 1974, Haile Selassie I is deposed from the Ethiopian throne.
1885 - Moses A. Hopkins named minister of Liberia
On this date in 1885, Moses A. Hopkins, minister and educator, named minister to Liberia.
1913 - Gold Medalist James Cleveland Owens was born
On this date in 1913, James Cleveland Owens, better known as Jesse Owens, winner of four gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, was born
1980 - Cosmonaut Arnold Tamayo, becomes the first black sent on a mission in space
On this date in 1980, Cosmonaut Arnold Tamayo, a Cuban, becomes the first black sent on a mission in space. Arnold Tamayo, along with Soviet... Continue →
1948 - Ralph J. Bunche confirmed as acting UN mediator in Palestine
On this dated in 1948, Ralph J. Bunche confirmed by United Nations Security Council as acting UN mediator in Palestine.
1877 - John Mercer Langston named Minister of Haiti
On this date in 1877, John Mercer Langston named minister of Haiti.
1956 - Opera Singer Mattiwilda Dobbs sings romantic lead.
On this date in 1956, Mattiwilda Dobbs become the first African American to sing a romantic lead at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. ... Continue →
1997 - Kofi Annan becomes first Black Secretary General of United Nations
On this date in 1997, Kofi Annan of Ghana becomes first black secretary of United Nations.
1808 - The importation of African slaves prohibited.
On this date in 1808, the federal law prohibiting the importation of African slaves went into effect.
1854 - James Augustine Healy ordains a priest
On this day in 1854, James Augustine Healy, first Black American Roman Catholic bishop, ordained a priest in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.
1840 - The World's Anti-Slavery Convention
On this day in 1840, the World's Anti-Slavery Convention convenes in London, England.
1976 - Hector Petersen, a 13 year old Soweto schoolboy is the first to die
ON this day in 1976, Hector Petersen, a 13 year old Soweto schoolboy is the first to die in what will become the "Children's Crusade", the first... Continue →
1953 - Egypt becomes republic
ON this date in 1953, Egypt becomes a republic after the forced abdication of King Farouk I.
1960 - Dahomey proclaimed independent
On this date in 1960, Dahomey proclaimed independent. Independence was also celebrated in Niger (August 3), Upper Volta (August 5), Ivory Coast... Continue →
1920 - National Convention of Marcus Garvey's Universal Improvement Association
On this date in 1920, The National convention of Marcus Garvey's Universal Improvement Association opened in Liberty Hall in Harlem. The next night... Continue →
1986 - The U.S. Senate overrides President Ronald Reagan's veto
ON this date in 1986, the U.S. Senate overrides President Ronald Reagan's veto of legislation imposing economic sanctions in South Africa.
1986 - Edward J. Perkins appointed Ambassador to South Africa
On this date in 1986, President Ronald Reagan appointed Edward J. Perkins ambassador to South Africa.
1935 - Ethiopia Invaded by Italy
On this date in 1935, Ethiopia, one of the only two independent African nations at the time, was invaded by Facist Italy under Benito Mussolini. The... Continue →
1966 - Independence Day - Kingdom of Lesotho
ON this date in 1966, The Kingdom of Lesotho declared its independence
1931 - Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu born.
ON this date in 1931, Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu born.
1968 - John Carlos and Tommie Smith staged Black Power demonstration.
ON this date in 1968, John Carlos and Tommie Smith staged Black Power demonstration on victory stand after winning 200-meter event at Olympics in... Continue →
1865 - George William Gordon, is unfairly arrested and sentence to death.
On this date in 1865, Jamaican national hero, George William Gordon, is unfairly arrested and sentenced to death.
1940 - Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele) was born
ON this date in 1940, in Tres Coracoes, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, generally known as Pelé, is born.
1935 - Italy invaded Ethiopia
On this date in 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia. American Blacks held mass meetings of protest and raised funds for the Ethiopian defenders.
1921 - Solomon Porter Hood named minister to Liberia
On this date in 1921, Solomon Porter Hood named minister to Liberia.
1974 - Muhammad Ali defeated George Foreman in Zaire
On this dated in 1974, Muhammad Ali defeated George Foreman for heavyweight boxing title in Zaire.
1995 - South Africans voted in their first all-race local government elections.
On this date in 1995, South Africans voted in their first all-race local government elections, completing the destruction of the apartheid system.
1930 - Haile Selassie crowned as Emperor of Ethiopia
On this dated in 1930, upon the death of the Ethiopian Empress Zawditu, Haile Selassie was crowned emperor of Ethiopia.
1889 - Meneeik II crowned
On this date in 1889 Menelik II was crowned Negusa-Nagast (King of Kings) of Abysinnia, Ethiopia. By 1899 Abysinnia had extended as far as Kenya in... Continue →
1874 - James Theodore Holly elected bishop of Haiti.
On this date in 1874, James Theodore Holly, a Black American who emigrated to Haiti in 1861, elected bishop of Haiti. He was consecrated in a... Continue →
1841 - Amistad survivors returned to Africa
On this date in 1841, Thirty-five Amistad survivors returned to Africa.
1841 - Amistad Liberators set Sail
On this date in 1841, the liberators of the ship Amistad set sail for Africa aboard the Gentleman.
1774 - Continental Congress
On this date in 1774, The Continental Congress will no longer allow the importation of slaves.
1832 - Sarah Gorham was born
Born on this day, Sarah Gorham was the first woman appointed by the AME Church in 1888, to serve as a missionary to any foreign country.
1981 - Grace Ann Bumbry
On this date in 1981, Grace Ann Bumbry participated in a benefit concert put on by Artists to End Hunger.
1895 - Sir Milton Margai, first Prime Minister of Sierra Leone, was born
On this date in 1895, Sir Milton Margai, first Prime Minister of Sierra Leone, is born
