Jackie Roosevelt Robinson made his professional baseball debut with the Montreal Royals in Daytona Beach, Florida — at the ballpark that would later bear his name. This historic game marked the beginning of Robinson’s groundbreaking career in professional baseball. Just one year later, in 1947, he would break Major League Baseball’s color barrier as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers and earn the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award.

Norbert Rillieux, a pioneering chemical engineer, inventor, and Egyptologist, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. A child of Creole heritage and the son of an inventor, Rillieux was educated in Paris, where he became an instructor at L’École Centrale at just 24 years old. He is best known for inventing the multiple-effect evaporator, a groundbreaking system that revolutionized the sugar refining industry by making it safer, more efficient, and less labor-intensive. His invention later found applications in other industries such as soap and paper. Rillieux is widely recognized as one of the earliest chemical engineers in history and a hidden genius of industrial science.

On this day, Maurice Ashley made history by becoming the first Black International Grandmaster in chess. Born in Jamaica and raised in Brooklyn, Ashley fell in love with the game at age 14 after reading about Paul Morphy, a 19th-century American chess legend. As a student at Brooklyn Technical High School, Ashley honed his skills in local parks and clubs. His achievement shattered barriers in the chess world and inspired a new generation of players from underrepresented communities.

On this day, Jacob Lawrence became the first visual artist to receive the NAACP’s prestigious Spingarn Medal, awarded for “eminence among American painters.” Known for his vivid portrayals of African American life, including his renowned Migration Series, Lawrence’s work brought Black history and everyday experiences to the forefront of American art. His award marked a significant recognition of Black excellence in the fine arts.

West Virginia State College was established in Institute, West Virginia, as a land-grant institution for Black students under the Second Morrill Act of 1890. It became a cornerstone of higher education for African Americans in Appalachia and later evolved into West Virginia State University. The college played a critical role in expanding access to education during segregation and remains a symbol of Black academic excellence.

Aaron Anderson, an African American landsman in the U.S. Navy, received the Medal of Honor for his bravery during an operation aboard the USS Wyandank in the Civil War. Despite enemy fire, Anderson displayed extraordinary courage during a boat expedition up Mattox Creek, Virginia. His heroism made him one of the first Black sailors to receive the nation’s highest military decoration.