The Alabama State Board of Education expelled nine students from Alabama State College for participating in sit-in demonstrations protesting segregation in Montgomery. Known as part of the civil rights student movement, their expulsion sparked national outrage and led to increased student activism. The incident also prompted civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to write a letter in support of the students, further fueling the momentum of the movement.

Shauntay Hinton, representing the District of Columbia, was crowned Miss USA in 2002. She became the seventh Black woman to win the title, breaking barriers in the pageant world and serving as a role model for young women of color. Hinton went on to have a successful career in television and public speaking, using her platform to advocate for youth empowerment.

The New York Times published an article titled “Nubian Monarchy Called Oldest“, highlighting the findings of archaeologist Bruce Williams at Qustul, in what is now southern Egypt near the Sudanese border. Excavations revealed royal tombs and artifacts—including incense burners with royal iconography—dating back to around 3300 BCE, predating the earliest known Egyptian pharaohs.

These findings suggest that the ancient Nubian kingdom of Ta-Seti, often overlooked in mainstream history, may have pioneered the world’s first divine kingship—a form of monarchy where rulers were considered gods or divine agents. This concept later became central to the governance and religion of ancient Egypt.

The discovery challenges long-held Eurocentric narratives that placed Egypt as the sole cradle of advanced civilization in Africa. It reinforces the understanding that Nubia was not just a neighbor or rival to Egypt, but a source of major cultural and political innovations that flowed north along the Nile. Nubia had its own writing systems, monumental architecture, and rich spiritual traditions, and its legacy continues to influence African identity and pride today.

In response to public outcry over the “Civil Disturbance Information Collection Plan,” the U.S. Department of Defense announced it would limit its domestic electronic surveillance. The plan had authorized the monitoring of civil rights organizations and anti-war activists, raising serious concerns about government overreach and violations of constitutional rights. The policy change marked a victory for privacy advocates and civil rights groups who had long criticized military and intelligence agency surveillance of Black activists and community leaders.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 307 to 116 to expel Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. of New York, the first Black congressman from the state. Although officially removed over allegations of financial misconduct, many civil rights leaders argued that the expulsion was racially motivated. Powell was a powerful advocate for civil rights and social justice, and his removal sparked national debate about race, power, and political retaliation. The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled his exclusion unconstitutional, and he was re-elected by his constituents.

The Emancipation Centennial protest began on March 1, 1963, in Greenwood, Mississippi, with a major voter registration campaign. Organized by civil rights activists to mark 100 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, the protest spotlighted ongoing racial discrimination and Black disenfranchisement in the South. Despite intense resistance, including arrests and violence, the campaign laid the groundwork for future organizing efforts that would culminate in the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

On this day, Carl T. Rowan was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Finland, becoming one of the first African Americans to serve in such a high-level diplomatic position. A respected journalist and civil rights advocate, Rowan’s appointment marked a significant step forward for African American representation in international affairs and U.S. foreign policy during the Kennedy administration.

U.S. Air Force Captain Edward J. Dwight Jr. was selected for the fourth class of Aerospace Research Pilots at Edwards Air Force Base, making him the first Black astronaut candidate. His appointment was seen as a significant step toward racial integration in the U.S. space program. However, Dwight was controversially dropped from the program in 1965, amid allegations of racial bias. Though he never flew in space, his selection paved the way for future Black astronauts.

Beginning on March 1, 1960, approximately 1,000 students from Alabama State College marched on the state capitol in Montgomery to protest racial injustice. Over the course of the month, the students held protest meetings and demonstrations in defiance of segregation and inequality. Their activism played a vital role in the broader Civil Rights Movement and drew national attention to the struggle for justice in the Deep South.

Pope John XXIII elevated Bishop Laurian Rugambwa of Tanganyika (modern-day Tanzania) to the College of Cardinals, making him the first Black cardinal in the modern era of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal Rugambwa’s appointment was a historic milestone in the Church’s global outreach and representation, signaling a shift toward greater inclusivity and recognition of African leadership in the Catholic hierarchy.

Montgomery police broke up a peaceful protest on the Alabama State College campus, arresting thirty-five students, a teacher, and her husband. The demonstration was part of a wave of student-led civil rights activism inspired by the Greensboro sit-ins. This crackdown led to student expulsions and sparked national outrage, prompting further student protests and increasing support for the civil rights movement.

In response to the growing student-led sit-in movement across the South, police in Tallahassee, Florida, used tear gas to disperse peaceful Black student demonstrators protesting segregation. The protest, organized by students from Florida A&M University, was part of a broader wave of activism challenging Jim Crow laws and demanding civil rights. Despite the police crackdown, the demonstration drew national attention and further ignited student activism throughout Florida and the South.

San Antonio, Texas, became the first major Southern city to peacefully integrate its lunch counters. This significant step toward desegregation came without the violence or mass protests seen in other cities. The decision was the result of behind-the-scenes negotiations between Black community leaders and city officials, serving as a model for other cities in the South during the Civil Rights Movement.

Following sustained sit-in movements led by Black students across the South, four national chain stores announced that lunch counters in approximately 150 stores across 112 cities—including locations in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Maryland, Florida, and Oklahoma—had been integrated. The announcement, made public on October 17, 1960, marked a significant milestone in the Civil Rights Movement and reflected the growing power of peaceful protest and student activism.

The Associated Press reported that more than 1,000 Black Americans had been arrested across the South for participating in sit-in protests against segregated lunch counters. Sparked by the Greensboro Four in North Carolina, the sit-in movement rapidly spread to cities throughout the region. The wave of peaceful, youth-led protests became a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement, drawing national attention to the injustices of racial segregation.

Legendary boxer Joe Louis officially retired as the world heavyweight boxing champion after an unprecedented reign of eleven years and eight months. Known as the “Brown Bomber,” Louis defended his title 25 times and became a symbol of Black excellence and American pride, breaking racial barriers in sports during a time of segregation and discrimination.

Sherman Hemsley, the iconic actor best known for his roles as George Jefferson in All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye in Amen, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hemsley’s comedic brilliance and commanding screen presence helped redefine Black representation on television, bringing complexity, humor, and pride to working- and middle-class Black characters during a transformative era in American media.

Merlie Evers-Williams, a future civil rights activist and the first woman to chair the NAACP, is born in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The widow of Medgar Evers, she continued his legacy by fighting for justice and equality. Her leadership, including her role in revitalizing the NAACP, made her a pioneering figure in American history.

Harry Belafonte, legendary singer, actor, and civil rights activist, was born in Harlem, New York. Known as the “King of Calypso” for popularizing Caribbean music worldwide, Belafonte also played a pivotal role in the U.S. civil rights movement. He was a close confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and used his platform to advocate for social justice, equality, and humanitarian causes throughout his life.

The influential magazine Survey Graphic released a special issue titled Harlem, Mecca of the New Negro, capturing the energy of the Harlem Renaissance. Curated by Alain Locke, the issue featured groundbreaking essays, poetry, and art by leading African-American thinkers and creatives. By the end of 1925, Locke expanded this work into the landmark anthology The New Negro, a defining publication that celebrated Black cultural achievement and intellectualism, helping to reshape how African-American identity was viewed in the U.S. and abroad.

Ralph Waldo Ellison, one of the most influential African American writers of the 20th century, was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His landmark novel Invisible Man (1952) explores the social invisibility of Black Americans and remains a cornerstone of American literature. Ellison’s work delved deeply into identity, race, and the complexities of Black life in America.

Anna M. Mangin, an African American inventor, was granted U.S. Patent No. 470,005 for the pastry fork—a kitchen tool designed to make mixing dough more efficient and less messy. Her invention represented a significant contribution to domestic science and culinary efficiency. Mangin’s achievement highlights the often-overlooked role of Black women inventors in everyday innovations.

The U.S. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1875, granting African Americans the legal right to equal treatment in public accommodations such as inns, public transportation, theaters, and places of amusement. Although it marked a major milestone in post-Civil War civil rights legislation, the Supreme Court declared the Act unconstitutional in 1883, severely undermining federal efforts to combat racial discrimination for decades.

J. Milton Turner was appointed as U.S. Minister Resident to Liberia, becoming the first Black diplomat formally accredited to an African country. Although James W. Mason was named to the same post in March 1870, he never traveled to Liberia. Turner’s appointment marked a significant step in Black American participation in U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy.

On this day, Rebecca Lee (later Crumpler) graduated from the New England Female Medical College, becoming the first African American woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. Alongside trailblazers like Rebecca Cole and Susan McKinney Steward, she helped open the doors for future generations of Black women in medicine. Dr. Crumpler would go on to serve formerly enslaved people in the post-Civil War South and author one of the first medical publications by a Black physician.

Blanche Kelso Bruce was born into slavery in Prince Edward County, Virginia. He would go on to make history as the first Black man to serve a full term in the United States Senate, representing Mississippi from 1875 to 1881 during the Reconstruction Era. Bruce was a strong advocate for civil rights, education, and equal treatment for formerly enslaved people.

Pennsylvania became the first U.S. state to pass a law abolishing slavery with the enactment of the Gradual Abolition Act. This pioneering legislation did not immediately free enslaved people but set the foundation for gradual emancipation, requiring the registration of enslaved individuals and freeing future children born into slavery after a certain age. It marked a major early step in the legal dismantling of slavery in the United States.

The British colonial government, unable to defeat the Maroons—communities of formerly enslaved Africans who had escaped and formed independent settlements in Jamaica—was forced to sign a peace treaty. The treaty granted the Maroons autonomy and land in exchange for peace and the return of future runaway slaves. This marked a rare instance of a colonial power formally recognizing the rights and sovereignty of formerly enslaved people.