On this day, an African American inventor William B. Purvis was granted U.S. Patent No. 273,149 for an improved hand stamp. His design enhanced the mechanism for automatically inking and stamping, streamlining office tasks. Purvis was a prolific inventor dedicated to advancing practical technologies for everyday use. Purvis held several patents and was known for his innovations in mechanical devices.

American figure skater Debi Thomas made history by becoming the first Black athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. She earned the bronze in women’s singles figure skating at the Calgary Games. Thomas’s achievement broke racial barriers in a sport long lacking diversity and inspired generations of Black athletes in winter sports.

Anna Julia Cooper, an educator, scholar, and advocate for the rights of Black women, died at the age of 105. Born into slavery in 1858, she went on to become one of the most prominent African American intellectuals of her time. Her groundbreaking book, A Voice from the South (1892), is considered one of the first articulations of Black feminist thought. Cooper’s life spanned from the Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement, and she left a lasting legacy in education and social justice.

Award-winning journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault was born in Due West, South Carolina. She became one of the first two Black students to integrate the University of Georgia in 1961 and went on to have a groundbreaking career in journalism. Hunter-Gault worked for The New York Times, PBS NewsHour, and NPR, and became a prominent voice for civil rights and international reporting.

Marian Anderson, a groundbreaking African American contralto, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Renowned for her extraordinary voice and dignified presence, she broke racial barriers in classical music. In 1939, after being denied the right to perform at Constitution Hall due to her race, she famously sang at the Lincoln Memorial before a crowd of 75,000. Anderson later became the first Black person to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in 1955.

Charlotte E. Ray graduated from Howard University School of Law, becoming the first African American woman to earn a law degree in the United States. Admitted to the D.C. Bar the same year, Ray was also the first woman admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. Her achievement broke both racial and gender barriers in the legal profession.

John W. Menard became the first Black man to speak on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, defending his right to represent Louisiana’s Second Congressional District. Although Menard won the special election, his opponent contested the results. The House refused to seat either candidate, and Congressman James A. Garfield remarked that it was “too early to admit a Negro to the U.S. Congress.” Despite being denied the seat, Menard’s speech marked a historic first for African Americans in U.S. political history.

The United States Congress adopted the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This landmark amendment was a major victory during Reconstruction, aimed at securing voting rights for Black men following the Civil War.

The Dominican Republic declared its independence from Haiti on February 27, 1844, ending 22 years of Haitian rule. Though complex in its racial and political history, the event marked a pivotal moment in Caribbean history. The independence movement was led by Juan Pablo Duarte and the secret society La Trinitaria. This day is celebrated annually as Dominican Independence Day.

Maria W. Stewart, a free Black woman, became the first American-born woman to speak publicly to a mixed audience of men and women, Black and white. Her bold lectures in Boston addressed issues such as race, women’s rights, education, and morality. Stewart’s courage and eloquence made her a pioneering voice in both the abolitionist and early feminist movements.

Prince Hall, a prominent Revolutionary War veteran and the founder of African American Freemasonry, is believed to have been born on this date. Though much of his early life remains unclear, Hall is celebrated for establishing the first African Masonic Lodge and advocating for the rights and education of free Black people in America during the 18th century.