On this date in 1997, Kofi Annan of Ghana becomes first black secretary of United Nations.
On this date in 1808, the federal law prohibiting the importation of African slaves went into effect.
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 →
On this dated in 1867, Howard University, in Washington, D. C. named for General Oliver O. Howard, was established.
Alonzo Pietro, explorer, sets sail with Christopher Columbus.
Marcus Mosiah Garvey arrives in America from Jamaica.
African Freedom Day is declared at the All-African People's Conference in Accra, Ghana.
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 →
First game of the National Negro Baseball League played in Indianapolis.
Macon Bolling Allen, first African American lawyer admitted to the bar, passed examination at Worchester, Massachusetts. Macon B. Allen was the... Continue →
J. H. Smith patents Lawn Sprinkler May 4, 1897. Patent Number 581785.
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 →
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 →
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 →
On May 6, 1886, M. A. Cherry created the tricycle a three wheeled vehicle that is used for transportation.
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 →
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Poters (BSCP) ,an influential African American labor union, was organized by Founding President A. Philip Randolph,... Continue →
The South Carolina Gazette reports that a South Carolina slave and medical practitioner named Caesar granted freedom and lifetime... Continue →
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 →
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr , born Louis Eugene Walcott, was born on this day.
Summit meeting of National Negro Leaders called for stepped up campaign againts discrimination and desegregation. Then President Eisenhower was... Continue →
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 →
John B. Mclendon becomes first African American American Basketball Association (ABA) head coach and the first African American professional head... Continue →
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 →
Congressman John Conyers, Jr , the founder of the Congressional Black Caucus was born.
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 →
Ernie Davis, an American football halfback at Syracuse University and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy in 1961, dies... Continue →
Patricia Roberts Harris names ambassador to Luxembourg. She was the first African American woman ambassador. Quote -"You do not seem to... Continue →
Boxer Marvelous Marvin Hagler born in Newark, New jersey on this date. Marvelous Marvin Hagler was the undisputed middleweight champion of the world... Continue →
Christopher J. Perry, a pioneering black businessman who championed racial equality, established the Philadelphia Tribune in 1884. The Tribune is... Continue →
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 →
Landrow Bell patents Locomotive Smoke Stack on this day. Patent #115,153.
Racial Segregation in Washington, D. C. ruled illegal by the city's Municipal Court of Appeals.
Miles Davis, American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer was born on this date. Miles Davis was, together with his musical... Continue →
Lincoln Alexander becomes the first black member of the Canadian Parliament.
National Black Economic Development Conference adopted manifesto in Detroit meeting calling for $500 Million in reparations from white churches.
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 →
Singer, songwriter, businesswoman, humanitarian and author Gladys Knight , "The Empress of Soul" was born in Atlanta, Georgia 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 →
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 →
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 →
South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth after an absence of 33 years.
Sojourner Truth leaves New York and begins career as an antislavery activist.
The 5th National Negro Convention meets in Philadelphia and urged African Americans to abandon the use of terms "African" and "colored" when... Continue →
James A. Healy, first African American Roman Catholic Bishop, consecrated in the cathedral at Portland, Maine.
Kenneth Irvine Chenault is an American business executive. Chenault has been the CEO and Chairman of American Express since 2001and is the third... Continue →
Wesley A. Brown becomes first African American graduate of Annapolis Naval Academy.
Baltimore Orioles Manager Frank Robinson names Assistant General Manager on this date. Robinson was the third African American to become an... Continue →
Doris A. Davis, of Compton California, becomes the first African-American woman mayor of a metropolitan city in the United States.
Federal Court Rules that racial segregation on Montgomery City buses violated Constitution.
Mae C. Jemison, M. D. was chosen by NASA to begin training as a space shuttle astronaut on this date.
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 →
Legendary Pitcher Satchel Paige dies in Kansas City, Missouri. Satchel was an American Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball pitcher who... Continue →
Oliver W. Hill elected to Richmond, Virginia, City Council becoming the first African American to do so since Reconstruction.
Heavy Weight Boxer Jack Johnson dies on this date.
Oscar Award Winning Actress Hattie McDanial born on this date.
African Methodist Episcopal Church founder Richard Allen was born on this date. Allen was born a slave near Philadelphia.
On this day in 1854, James Augustine Healy, first Black American Roman Catholic bishop, ordained a priest in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.
Nelson Mandela was sentenced to Life imprisonment for allegedly attempting to sabotage the White South African government.
United States Congressman Charles Rangel born on this date
The National Black MBA Assciation is incorporated.
Medgar W. Evers , NAACP field secretary in Mississippi, assassinated in front of his Jackson home by a segregationist.
On this day in 1840, the World's Anti-Slavery Convention convenes in London, England.
Thurgood Marshall, United States Solicitor General, name to the Supreme Court by President Johnson. Marshall was confirmed by the Senate on August... Continue →
Congressman William Gray elected Democratic Whip of the House of Representatives, the highest ranking position ever held by a African American in... Continue →
Cheryl Adrienne Brown wins Miss Iowa pageant and becomes the first African American to compete in the Miss America beauty pageant.
Henry O. Flipper receives degree at West Point and becomes the first African American graduate.
Tiger Woods wins U. S. Open Gold Tournament.
United States Supreme Court rules that the suspension of Clayton Powel Jr. from the House of Representatives was unconstitutional.
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 →
Tuskegee Boycott began. African American's boycotted city stores in protest against act of state legislature that deprived them of municipal votes... Continue →
Supreme Court banned racial discrimination in sale and rental of housing.
Slavery Abolished in United States territories in congress.
ON this date in 1953, Egypt becomes a republic after the forced abdication of King Farouk I.
Albert W. dent, president of Dillard University, elected president of National Health Council.
Muhammad Ali convicted in Houston, Texas in federal court for violating Selective Service Act by refusing induction into the armed services. Ali was... Continue →
National Congress of Racial Equality organized
United States Supreme Court (Guinn v United States) said "Grandfather Clause" in the Oklahoma and Maryland constitutions violated the 15th Amendment.
Marcus Garvey sentenced to five years in prison after his conviction on charges of using the mail to defraud.
Richard Nixon signed bill extending Voting Rights Act of 1965 to 1975.
Joe Louis defeated James J. Barddock for heavyweight boxing championship.
Ezzard Charles defeats Jersey Joe Walcott for the world heavy weight championship.
Wilma Glodean Rudolph, the first African American women to with three gold medals, was born on this dated in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Maynard Jackson, three term mayor of Atlanta, dies at the age of 65.
Mary Mcleod Bethune , founder-president of Bethune-Cookman College, named Director of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration. Mary was... Continue →
John R. Lynch, former congressman from Mississippi, elected temporary chairmen of Republican convention and becomes the first African American to... Continue →
Isaiah Dorman dies at battle to Little Bighorn under the leadership of Colonel George Custer.
Prince Edward County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors abandoned school system to prevent integration.
James Weldon Johnson dies of injuries received in an automobile accident near his summer home in Wiscosset, Maine.
W. E. B. DuBois resigns from his position at the NAACP in a disagreement over policy and racial strategy.
Frederick Jones invents the ticket dispensing machine, patent #2163754.
United States Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall announces his retirement.
Freedman's Bank closed. African American depositors had some $3 million in the bank. The Freedman's Bank had an imposing headquarters in... Continue →
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 →
Louisiana legislature met in New Orleans. The temporary chairman of the house was African American Representative, R. H. Isabelle. Oscar J.... Continue →
Major Robert H. Lawrence Jr. named First African American astronaut. Major Lawrence was killed during a training flight on December 8, 1967.
Actress -Singer Lena Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York.
On this date in 1960, Somalia officially gained independence and was formed as a sovereign nation. This date marks the unification of British... Continue →
On this date in 1863, the Kingdom of the Netherlands officially abolished slavery in its colonies, including Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean islands... Continue →
On this date in 1983, Calvin Smith of the United States became the fastest man alive, setting a new 100m world record with a time of 9.93 seconds... Continue →
On this date in 1999, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) celebrated Caribbean Integration with a focus on strengthening regional cooperation and... Continue →
On this date in 1964, Malawi officially proclaimed its independence from British colonial rule. The country, which was previously known as the... Continue →
On this date in 1805, Bill Richmond, the son of formerly enslaved parents, made history as the first African American to gain recognition as a... Continue →
On this date in 1927, Attorney William T. Francis was appointed U.S. Minister to Liberia by President Calvin Coolidge. This was a significant... Continue →
On this date in 1914, Marcus Garvey’s return to Jamaica marked the beginning of a transformative period for both him and the global Black... Continue →
On this date in 1918, Nelson Mandela was born, in the village of Mvezo, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. He would go on to become one of... Continue →
On July 19, 1925, the legendary entertainer Josephine Baker made her Paris debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in the revue La Revue Nègre.... Continue →
On July 22, 1848, Lester Walton was appointed as the U.S. Minister to Liberia on July 22, 1848. His appointment came during the presidency of James... Continue →
The Pan-African Congress held its first major meeting in London on July 23, 1900. It was a significant event in the early history of the Pan-African... Continue →
July 26, 1847, marks the day Liberia declared its independence, becoming the first independent republic in Africa. The country had been founded by... Continue →
On July 26, 1847, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, the first native-born President of Liberia, declared the country an independent republic. Liberia, founded... Continue →
On July 26, 1847, freed African American slaves in Liberia declared their independence from the American Colonization Society and established... Continue →
The Amistad mutiny is a famous and significant event in American history. On July 30, 1839, a group of enslaved Africans aboard the Spanish slave... Continue →
on August 1, 1960, Dahomey (now known as Benin) officially gained its independence from France. This was part of a broader wave of independence... Continue →
On August 1, 1920, the National Convention of Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) was held in New York City. This event... Continue →
August 1, 1838, marks a significant moment in history—the official abolition of slavery in the British Caribbean. This day, known as Emancipation... Continue →
On August 1, 1834, the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect, officially ending slavery throughout the British Empire. This legislation was... Continue →
On August 3, 1781, during the American Revolutionary War, African American soldier James Armistead Lafayette played a pivotal role in... Continue →
On August 5, 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested by the South African authorities. He had been on the run for over a year, during which he was actively... Continue →
On August 6, 1989, Congressman George Thomas "Mickey" Leland tragically died in a plane crash in Ethiopia. He was aboard a cargo plane that crashed... Continue →
Sir Alexander Bustamante, Jamaica's first prime minister, passed away on August 6, 1967. He was a key figure in Jamaica's struggle for independence... Continue →
On August 6, 1962, Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom. This day marked a significant turning point in the country's history, as... Continue →
Ralph J. Bunche was an influential diplomat, political scientist, and civil rights advocate. Born on August 7, 1904, in Detroit, Michigan, he played... Continue →
On August 8, 1936, Jesse Owens made history at the Berlin Olympics by winning four gold medals in track and field. This remarkable achievement... Continue →
On August 12, 1977, Stephen Biko, the leader of the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa, was arrested at a police roadblock under the... Continue →
On August 15, 1824, the first group of freed American slaves, known as the "American Colonization Society" (ACS), established Liberia as a colony.... Continue →
On August 16, 1890, Alexander Clark was named the U.S. Minister to Liberia. This appointment marked a significant moment in history, as Clark became... Continue →
On August 17, 1984, Roberto Clemente became the second baseball player to be featured on a U.S. postage stamp. The stamp was part of the U.S. Postal... Continue →
Rafer Johnson, the American decathlete, was born on August 18, 1935, in Hillsboro, Texas. He is best known for his remarkable career in track and... Continue →
On August 18, 1964, South Africa was officially banned from the Olympic Games. This decision came after the International Olympic Committee (IOC)... Continue →
Roberto Clemente, one of baseball's most legendary players, was indeed born on August 18, 1934, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He became an iconic figure... Continue →
Jomo Kenyatta, the first President of Kenya, passed away on August 22, 1978, at the age of 83. He played a pivotal role in the country's struggle for... Continue →
The Haitian Revolution began on August 22, 1791, when enslaved people in the northern part of the colony of Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti)... Continue →
Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia passed away on August 27, 1975, under mysterious circumstances, though many regard his reign as one of significant... Continue →
The Second Pan-African Congress met in London from August 28 to September 1, 1921. It was an important event in the Pan-African movement, bringing... Continue →
On August 31, 1962, Trinidad and Tobago became an independent nation, separating from British colonial rule. This marked a significant moment in the... Continue →
On September 3, 1970, representatives from 27 African nations gathered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the first Congress of African People (CAP).... Continue →
On September 3, 1891, John Stephens Durham was appointed as the minister to Haiti. He served as a U.S. diplomat during the presidency of Benjamin... Continue →
Leopold Sedar Senghor, a prominent poet and politician, was elected as the first President of Senegal on September 5, 1960. He played a key role in... Continue →
On this date in 1968, the Kingdom of Swaziland was founded.
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 →
On this date in 1961, Jomo Kenyatta returns to Kenya from exile to lead his country.
on this date in 1930, Charles E. Mitchell, certified public accountant and banker from West Virginia, named minister to Liberia.
On this date in 1913, George W. Buckner, a physician from Indiana, named minister to Liberia.
On this date in 1974, Haile Selassie I is deposed from the Ethiopian throne.
On September 11, 1885, Moses A. Hopkins was appointed as the U.S. Minister to Liberia by President Grover Cleveland. Hopkins was an African American... Continue →
On September 11, 1974, Haile Selassie I, the last Emperor of Ethiopia, was deposed after a military coup led by the Derg, a Marxist-Leninist... Continue →
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 →
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
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 →
On this dated in 1948, Ralph J. Bunche confirmed by United Nations Security Council as acting UN mediator in Palestine.
On this date in 1877, John Mercer Langston named minister of Haiti.
ON this date in 1986, the U.S. Senate overrides President Ronald Reagan's veto of legislation imposing economic sanctions in South Africa.
On this date in 1986, President Ronald Reagan appointed Edward J. Perkins ambassador to South Africa.
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 →
ON this date in 1966, The Kingdom of Lesotho declared its independence
ON this date in 1931, Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu born.
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 →
On this date in 1865, Jamaican national hero, George William Gordon, is unfairly arrested and sentenced to death.
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.
On this date in 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia. American Blacks held mass meetings of protest and raised funds for the Ethiopian defenders.
On this date in 1921, Solomon Porter Hood named minister to Liberia.
On this dated in 1974, Muhammad Ali defeated George Foreman for heavyweight boxing title in Zaire.
On this date in 1995, South Africans voted in their first all-race local government elections, completing the destruction of the apartheid system.
On this dated in 1930, upon the death of the Ethiopian Empress Zawditu, Haile Selassie was crowned emperor of Ethiopia.
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 →
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 →
On this day, Mattiwilda Dobbs became the first African American to sing a romantic lead role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. She starred... Continue →
Ken Saro-Wiwa, a Nigerian author, environmentalist, and human rights activist, was executed by the Nigerian military regime along with eight other... Continue →
After centuries of Portuguese colonial rule, Angola declared its independence on November 11, 1975. The independence movement was led by liberation... Continue →
On this day, South Africa was suspended from participating in the United Nations General Assembly due to its apartheid policies, which... Continue →
On November 15, 1884, the Berlin Conference convened in Berlin, Germany, under the leadership of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Representatives... Continue →
Over 900 people, most of them African American, died in a mass murder-suicide at the People’s Temple Agricultural Project (commonly known as... Continue →
Dominique Dawes, three-time Olympian and trailblazing gymnast, is born in Silver Spring, Maryland. Nicknamed "Awesome Dawesome," she would go on to... Continue →
Randall Robinson (founder of TransAfrica), Walter Fauntroy (congressional delegate), and Mary Frances Berry (U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner) were... Continue →
On this day, Henry Watson Furniss, a respected African American physician from Indiana, was appointed U.S. Minister to Haiti, becoming one of the... Continue →
After a landmark legal battle in the United States, 35 survivors of the Amistad revolt departed from New York aboard the ship Gentleman to return to... Continue →
After a landmark legal battle in the United States, the formerly enslaved Africans who had taken control of the Spanish schooner La Amistad set sail... Continue →
On this date, the First Continental Congress enacted the Continental Association, a trade boycott against Great Britain in response to the Coercive... Continue →
Sarah Gorham, born on December 5, 1832, became the first woman appointed by the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church as a missionary to a foreign... Continue →
Grace Bumbry, a renowned American opera singer, was celebrated for her exceptional talent and significant contributions to the world of classical... Continue →
Sir Milton Margai was born on this day in Gbangbatoke, Sierra Leone. A trained medical doctor and respected statesman, Margai became the first Prime... Continue →
On this day, Tanganyika, a territory in East Africa, gained independence from British colonial rule. It became a sovereign nation with Julius Nyerere... Continue →
On this day, Kenya officially gained independence from British colonial rule, ending decades of struggle. Jomo Kenyatta, a key leader in the... Continue →
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