On this day, Doris “Dorie” Miller, a Messman Third Class in the United States Navy, was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Amidst chaos and under enemy fire, Miller manned an anti-aircraft gun—despite having no formal training—and helped move wounded sailors to safety. He became the first African American to receive the Navy Cross, the Navy’s third-highest honor at the time, marking a pivotal moment in the fight against racial discrimination in the U.S. Armed Forces.

On this day in 1975, Ezzard Charles, former world heavyweight boxing champion, died at the age of 53 in Chicago. Known as the “Cincinnati Cobra,” Charles was celebrated for his tactical skill and resilience in the ring. He held the heavyweight title from 1949 to 1951 and was the first Black man to win the title after Joe Louis. Beyond boxing, Charles was a cultural icon who paved the way for future generations of Black athletes.

In a landmark referendum, over 90% of white Australians voted in favor of two constitutional amendments—one of which allowed Aboriginal Australians to be counted in the national census for the first time. This change also empowered the federal government to make laws specifically for Aboriginal people, ending their exclusive governance under state law. The vote marked a significant turning point in the fight for Indigenous rights and recognition in Australia.

On May 27, 1958, Ernest Green became the first African American student to graduate from Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. As a member of the historic “Little Rock Nine,” Green walked across the stage alongside 600 white classmates, marking a pivotal moment in the struggle for school integration during the Civil Rights Movement. His graduation came despite a year of intense harassment, violence, and national attention following the 1957 crisis over desegregation.

Louis Gossett Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York. A trailblazer in American cinema, Gossett made history by becoming the first African American male to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he earned for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. His career spans decades, with powerful performances on stage and screen that helped open doors for Black actors in Hollywood.

Tensions exploded in East St. Louis, Illinois, when a race riot broke out amid growing hostility toward African American workers who had migrated north during the Great Migration. On this day, violence erupted, resulting in the death of at least one Black man. This marked the beginning of a wave of unrest that would escalate into one of the deadliest race riots in American history by July 1917, ultimately claiming dozens of lives and leaving the Black community devastated.

In one of the earliest major Civil War battles involving Black troops, the First and Third Louisiana Native Guards—composed of free Black soldiers—launched six courageous but ultimately unsuccessful charges against Confederate fortifications at Port Hudson, Louisiana. Among the fallen was Captain André Cailloux, a former enslaved man turned Union officer, who died leading his men with exceptional bravery. His death became a symbol of Black valor and sacrifice in the Union cause.

The Louisiana Colored Volunteers led an assault on Confederate breastworks at Port Hudson, marking the first major battle in which African American troops took part during the Civil War. Their bravery helped challenge prevailing myths about Black soldiers’ effectiveness and laid the groundwork for broader enlistment of Black troops in the Union Army.

On May 30, 1965, Vivian Malone became the first Black student to graduate from the University of Alabama. Her graduation marked a historic victory for civil rights, just two years after Governor George Wallace’s infamous “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” attempted to block her enrollment. Malone’s perseverance paved the way for greater integration in Southern universities.