On this date in 1984, Rev. Jesse Jackson successfully negotiated the release of U.S. Navy Lt. Robert Goodman, a pilot who had been shot down over... Continue →
On this date in 1947, the **NAACP's 1947 report** highlighted the extreme racial violence that African Americans, particularly returning Black... Continue →
William H. Hastie, the first African American to serve as a civilian aide to the U.S. Secretary of War, resigned his position to protest the ongoing... Continue →
Colonel Charles Young, the first African American to reach the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army, passed away on this day. A trailblazer and military... Continue →
The final major battle of the War of 1812 was fought between American forces, led by General Andrew Jackson, and the British Army. Among Jackson’s... Continue →
On this day, U.S. federal troops and local militias suppressed the 1811 German Coast Uprising in Louisiana, one of the largest slave revolts in U.S.... Continue →
With the Confederacy facing imminent defeat and suffering from severe troop shortages, General Robert E. Lee proposed the use of enslaved African... Continue →
Charity Adams Earley, the first Black woman commissioned as an officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) and commander of the only... Continue →
On this day, Vernon Baker, a U.S. Army lieutenant and World War II veteran, was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton. Baker was one... Continue →
Yancey Williams, a student at Howard University, filed a lawsuit in federal court demanding that the secretary of war and other U.S. government... Continue →
A division of Black soldiers under the command of Major General Charles Paine participated in the successful Union assault on Fort Fisher, North... Continue →
NASA announces the selection of three Black astronauts—Maj. Frederick D. Gregory, Maj. Guion S. Bluford, and Dr. Ronald McNair. This historic... Continue →
The 99th Pursuit Squadron, the first all-African American flying unit in the U.S. Army Air Corps, is officially formed. This marks the beginning of... Continue →
The U.S. War Department announced the formation of the first Army Air Corps squadron for Black cadets, marking a significant step toward racial... Continue →
Union General William T. Sherman issued Special Field Order No. 15, which set aside a strip of coastal land from Charleston, South Carolina, to the... Continue →
The Continental Congress officially approved General George Washington’s decision to allow the enlistment of free Black men into the Continental... Continue →
On January 17, 1978, Dr. Ronald McNair was selected by NASA as one of 35 candidates for the astronaut program, becoming one of the first African... Continue →
The National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) pressured the U.S. Army Nurse Corps to eliminate its racial color bar and admit nurses... Continue →
On January 24, 1885, Martin Delany, a pioneering African American abolitionist, physician, and military officer, died in Xenia, Ohio. Delany was one... Continue →
Sherian Grace Cadoria was born on January 26, 1940, in Marksville, Louisiana. A graduate of Southern University, she became the highest-ranking... Continue →
On January 26, 1863, the U.S. War Department authorized Massachusetts Governor John A. Andrew to raise a regiment of African American soldiers. This... Continue →
On January 28, 1986, physicist and astronaut Dr. Ronald McNair was tragically killed when the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after... Continue →
On January 31, 1962, Lieutenant Commander Samuel L. Gravely assumed command of the USS Falgout, a destroyer escort, becoming the first African... Continue →
On February 3, 1981, the U.S. Air Force Academy officially ended its discriminatory policy that barred applicants with sickle cell trait from... Continue →
On February 3, 1810, Antonio Ruiz, known as El Negro Falucho, died defending the Argentine flag. A formerly enslaved African who became a soldier, he... Continue →
On February 3, 1971, the National Guard was mobilized in Wilmington, North Carolina, to quell civil unrest sparked by racial tensions and protests.... Continue →
On February 9, 1995, Dr. Bernard Harris became the first African American astronaut to perform a spacewalk during the STS-63 mission aboard the space... Continue →
On this day, conservative Republicans, supported by military forces, took control of the Florida Constitutional Convention. They drafted a new... Continue →
On this day in 1976, Clifford Alexander, Jr. was confirmed as the first African American Secretary of the Army. Appointed by President Jimmy Carter,... Continue →
On February 11, 1952, Sergeant Cornelius H. Charlton was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism during the... Continue →
On February 12, 1948, First Lieutenant Nancy C. Leftenant became the first Black nurse accepted into the regular U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Her... Continue →
The U.S. Navy commissioned the frigate USS Jesse L. Brown (DE/FF/FFT-1089), named in honor of Ensign Jesse L. Brown—the first African American... Continue →
As Confederate forces abandoned Charleston near the end of the Civil War, the first Union troops to enter the city included the Twenty-first United... Continue →
The U.S. Army Air Corps activated the 100th Pursuit Squadron at Tuskegee Institute, marking the official beginning of the Tuskegee Airmen program. As... Continue →
Confederate forces defeated Union troops, including three Black regiments and six white regiments, at the Battle of Olustee in Florida, about fifty... Continue →
Emmett Paige, Jr. was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He became one of the highest-ranking African Americans in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of... Continue →
Tennessee Governor William G. Brownlow declared martial law in nine counties to suppress rampant violence and intimidation by the Ku Klux Klan during... Continue →
Frank E. Petersen Jr. was named the first Black general in the history of the United States Marine Corps. A distinguished aviator and Vietnam War... Continue →
Adrienne Mitchell, a U.S. Army Specialist, became the first African American woman to die in combat during the Persian Gulf War. She was killed when... Continue →
Daniel "Chappie" James Jr., the first African American to attain the rank of four-star general in the U.S. military, died at the Air Force Academy in... Continue →
In response to public outcry over the “Civil Disturbance Information Collection Plan,” the U.S. Department of Defense announced it would limit... Continue →
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... Continue →
On this day, John E. Lee became the first African American to be commissioned as an officer in the South Carolina National Guard since... Continue →
Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the legendary leader of the Tuskegee Airmen, assumed command of Lockbourne Air Force Base in Ohio. This marked a historic... Continue →
In a significant shift in federal policy during the Civil War, the U.S. Congress passed an act forbidding Union military personnel from assisting in... Continue →
On March 12, 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis signed legislation permitting the enlistment of enslaved African Americans as soldiers in... Continue →
The U.S. Army established its first training camp for Black officers in Des Moines, Iowa. This historic move came amid mounting pressure from African... Continue →
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... Continue →
The USS Jesse L. Brown was launched as the first U.S. naval ship named in honor of an African American naval officer. Jesse L. Brown was a pioneering... Continue →
State troopers were mobilized to suppress a student rebellion at Cheyney State College (now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania), one of the nation's... Continue →
The American Liberian Commission, appointed by President William H. Taft, issued a report recommending financial aid to Liberia and the establishment... Continue →
In one of the earliest armed uprisings against British colonial authority, both Black and white indentured servants and enslaved people joined... Continue →
The National Urban League presented a groundbreaking one-hour national radio program titled “The Negro and National Defense” on the CBS network.... Continue →
On this day, U.S. Navy Seaman Alphonse Gerandy displayed extraordinary bravery aboard the USS Petrel by risking his life to save fellow crewmen... Continue →
Henry Ossian Flipper was born into slavery on March 31, 1856, in Thomasville, Georgia. He would go on to become the first African American to... Continue →
On this day, Black soldiers of the Union Army’s Twenty-Fifth Corps were among the first to enter the Confederate stronghold of Petersburg,... Continue →
After a series of defeats in 1861 and 1862, pressure from Congress increased on President Abraham Lincoln to enlist African Americans as soldiers in... Continue →
On this day, the Fifth Massachusetts Colored Cavalry and units of the Twenty-Fifth Corps—composed largely of Black soldiers—were among the first... Continue →
Speaking before the Overseas Press Club in New York City, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. publicly announced his opposition to the Vietnam War.... Continue →
Robert Smalls was born on April 5, 1839, in Beaufort, South Carolina, into the brutal institution of slavery. His mother, Lydia Polite, was enslaved... Continue →
Colin Luther Powell, the first African American U.S. Secretary of State, was born on this day in Harlem, New York. A four-star general in the U.S.... Continue →
On this day, a group of 27 enslaved Africans in New York City launched a rebellion against brutal conditions and oppression. The revolt began with... Continue →
Nine Black regiments from General John Hawkins’s division played a decisive role in breaching Confederate defenses at Fort Blakely, Alabama. Their... Continue →
In a speech delivered on this day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. publicly criticized the Vietnam War, describing it as “rapidly degenerating into a... Continue →
During the American Civil War, Confederate forces under General Nathan Bedford Forrest captured Fort Pillow in Tennessee. Following the fort’s... Continue →
Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, marking the start of the American Civil War. While not directly... Continue →
On this day, President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 troops to suppress the Southern rebellion at the outset of the Civil War. However, the... Continue →
On April 16, 1965, Major General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in the United States Air Force, becoming the... Continue →
On April 18, 1864, the First Kansas Colored Volunteers fought with valor against overwhelming Confederate forces at the Battle of Poison Spring in... Continue →
On April 18, 1861, Nicholas Biddle, an elderly African American who served as an aide to the Washington Artillery of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was... Continue →
On April 18, 1818, General Andrew Jackson led U.S. troops in a decisive battle at Suwanee, Florida, marking the end of the First Seminole War.... Continue →
On April 19, 2002, commemorations across the United States honored the role of African American soldiers in the American War of Independence,... Continue →
On April 19, 1960, Major General Frederic E. Davidson made history by assuming command of the Eighth Infantry Division in West Germany, becoming the... Continue →
On April 19, 1775, the first shots of the American Revolutionary War were fired at the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Among the colonial Minutemen... Continue →
On April 20, 1877, federal troops were withdrawn from public buildings in New Orleans, marking one of the final acts in the collapse of... Continue →
On April 21, 1966, U.S. Army Private First Class Milton L. Olive III was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for extraordinary... Continue →
On April 21, 1898, the United States declared war on Spain, marking the beginning of the Spanish-American War—and with it, the mobilization of... Continue →
On April 25, 1972, Major General Frederick E. Davidson became the first African American to command a U.S. Army division. He took leadership of the... Continue →
On April 28, 1967, the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the New York State Athletic Commission stripped Muhammad Ali of his world heavyweight title... Continue →
On April 28, 1971, Samuel L. Gravely Jr. made history as the first African American to achieve the rank of Admiral in the United States Navy. Born in... Continue →
On April 28, 1957, W. Robert Ming—a prominent civil rights attorney and World War II veteran from Chicago—was elected chairman of the American... Continue →
On April 29, 1981, a grand jury in Buffalo, New York indicted U.S. Army Pvt. Joseph G. Christopher on charges related to a string of racially... Continue →
On April 30, 1864, six African American infantry regiments played a pivotal role in the Battle of Jenkins’ Ferry, a brutal Civil War clash in... Continue →
On April 30, 711 AD, General Tariq ibn Ziyad, a Nafza Berber commander, led approximately 7,000 troops across the Strait of Gibraltar from North... Continue →
On May 1, 1941, civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph issued a bold call for 100,000 Black Americans to march on Washington, D.C., in protest of... Continue →
On May 1, 1866, one of the most violent racial attacks of the Reconstruction era erupted in Memphis, Tennessee. Over a three-day period, white... Continue →
On May 1, 1863, the Confederate Congress passed a chilling resolution declaring that Black Union soldiers and their white officers would not be... Continue →
In the wake of the Civil War’s end, on May 1, 1865, over 10,000 people, many of them formerly enslaved, gathered at a former Confederate prison... Continue →
On May 2, 1863, Black Union soldiers fighting under General David Hunter faced deadly resistance in the South during early Civil War skirmishes.... Continue →
On May 2, 1943, the Tuskegee Airmen—America’s first Black military aviators—began deploying for overseas combat operations during World War II.... Continue →
On May 3, 1791, Toussaint Louverture achieved his first significant military victory against French forces in what would become the Haitian... Continue →
Zakaria Mohieddin, a key figure in Egypt's 1952 revolution that ended monarchy rule, died on May 3, 1969. Though not as globally recognized as Gamal... Continue →
On May 4, 1864, General Ulysses S. Grant launched the Overland Campaign by crossing the Rapidan River, initiating a fierce and prolonged duel with... Continue →
On May 4, 1942, Doris "Dorie" Miller, an African American sailor, was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions during the attack on Pearl... Continue →
On May 4, 1865, the 1st South Carolina Volunteers, one of the first official African American regiments in the Union Army, was honorably disbanded... Continue →
On May 5, 1862, Robert Smalls—a 23-year-old enslaved Black man—led one of the most daring escapes of the Civil War. Along with 12 fellow enslaved... Continue →
On May 5, 1940, the U.S. War Department announced plans to open its first Officer Candidate Schools (OCS) for Black soldiers at Fort Des Moines,... Continue →
On May 5, 1806, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a pioneering Black composer, violinist, and military leader in France, passed away at age... Continue →
On May 6, 1877, federal troops were withdrawn from Louisiana, effectively marking the end of Reconstruction in the South. This event dealt a... Continue →
On May 6, 1902, African-American soldiers known as Buffalo Soldiers were deployed to the Philippines during the Philippine-American War. Many Black... Continue →
May 7, 1945, marked the end of World War II in Europe. Black soldiers from the U.S., Britain, France, and African colonies celebrated VE Day with the... Continue →
On May 7, 1952, Josina Machel, one of Mozambique’s most revered anti-colonial activists, was born. From a young age, she was deeply involved in the... Continue →
On May 8, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the removal of the federalized Arkansas National Guard from Central High School in Little... Continue →
On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the Allied Forces, marking Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) and the end of World War II in... Continue →
On May 8, 1967, Muhammad Ali was formally indicted for refusing induction into the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. Ali cited religious reasons... Continue →
On May 8, 2003, Leland Melvin was officially assigned to the International Space Station (ISS) mission training program. Melvin, an accomplished... Continue →
On May 8, 1958, Black African soldiers conscripted by France found themselves increasingly drawn into the bloody Algerian War of Independence.... Continue →
On May 8, 1945 — the same day Europe celebrated the end of World War II — thousands of Malagasy people in Madagascar rose up against French... Continue →
On May 9, 1919, celebrated African American composer and military bandleader James Reese Europe was tragically killed in Boston by a fellow band... Continue →
On May 10, 1775, Black patriots stood alongside colonial militias in the first major offensive action of the American Revolutionary War—the capture... Continue →
On May 10, 1877, the last federal troops withdrew from South Carolina and Louisiana, marking the end of Reconstruction. This date symbolizes the... Continue →
On May 10, 1801, Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture was deceitfully captured by French forces and deported to France. Invited under... Continue →
Doris \"Dorie\" Miller, a U.S. Navy mess attendant who became a national hero during the attack on Pearl Harbor, was born on May 11, 1916, in Waco,... Continue →
On May 11, 1893, Trinidadian lawyer Henry Sylvester-Williams publicly proposed a conference to address the global concerns of African-descended... Continue →
On May 14, 1942, the U.S. Marine Corps began accepting African American recruits for the first time in its 167-year history. These recruits trained... Continue →
On May 14, 1973, NASA launched Skylab, America’s first space station. Behind the scenes were several African American engineers and scientists who... Continue →
On May 14, 1945, just days after VE Day, African soldiers serving in the French army participated in the liberation of Austrian and German towns.... Continue →
On May 15, 1942, the 93rd Infantry Division was officially activated, becoming the first African American infantry division formed during World War... Continue →
On May 15, 1918, during World War I, African American soldiers Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts of the 369th Infantry Regiment—known as the Harlem... Continue →
On May 17, 1983, Guion S. Bluford Jr. was officially announced as part of the crew for NASA’s STS-8 mission, making history as the first African... Continue →
On May 18, 1814, during the War of 1812, the British officially formed the Corps of Colonial Marines—military units composed of formerly enslaved... Continue →
A Pentagon report released on this day revealed that Black Americans made up 11 percent of U.S. soldiers serving in Southeast Asia. It also disclosed... Continue →
On May 20, 1961, a group of Freedom Riders—civil rights activists challenging segregated bus terminals in the South—were viciously attacked by a... Continue →
May 20, 1902, marks the official date of Cuban independence from U.S. military occupation, and it’s essential to highlight the key role Afro-Cuban... Continue →
On May 21, 1970, the National Guard was mobilized to respond to escalating protests at Ohio State University. Both Black and white students united in... Continue →
On May 21, 1961, Alabama Governor John Patterson declared martial law in Montgomery in response to escalating violence surrounding the Freedom... Continue →
On May 21, 1799, revolutionary forces in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) secured a strategic victory at the Battle of Tiburon during the Haitian... Continue →
On this day in 1959, Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was promoted to brigadier general, becoming the first African American general in the U.S. Air Force. A... Continue →
On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department established the Bureau of Colored Troops, a pivotal move during the Civil War. This bureau facilitated the... Continue →
On May 22, 1967, escalating tensions in southeastern Nigeria reached a boiling point as Lieutenant Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu intensified preparations... Continue →
On May 23, 1992, Angola and Cuba signed the final military accord confirming Cuba’s full troop withdrawal after nearly 15 years of support in the... Continue →
On May 23, 1900, Queen Victoria met with a Zulu delegation from South Africa amid growing unrest during the Second Boer War. While largely symbolic,... Continue →
At Wilson’s Wharf Landing on the James River in Virginia, the First and Tenth Regiments of the United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) heroically... Continue →
On May 24, 1861, Union Major General Benjamin F. Butler declared that enslaved people who escaped to Union lines would be considered “contraband of... Continue →
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... Continue →
In one of the earliest major Civil War battles involving Black troops, the First and Third Louisiana Native Guards—composed of free Black... Continue →
The Louisiana Colored Volunteers led an assault on Confederate breastworks at Port Hudson, marking the first major battle in which African American... Continue →
On May 27, 1979, Guion S. Bluford Jr. was selected as a NASA astronaut, becoming the first African American to travel into space just four years... Continue →
On May 28, 1999, Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in as Nigeria’s first democratically elected president after decades of military rule. His... Continue →
On May 28, 1934, Ethiopian diplomats addressed the League of Nations warning of Italy’s growing militarization on its border—a plea ignored by... Continue →
On May 29, 1917, John F. Allen, an African American physicist and chemist, was born in Maryland. Allen played a pivotal role in the Manhattan... Continue →
On May 29, 1953, Carl Brashear, who would become the first Black U.S. Navy Master Diver, enlisted in the Navy, marking the start of a legendary... Continue →
On May 29, 1973, a young Thomas Sankara joined the Upper Volta military (now Burkina Faso), beginning a journey that would transform him into one of... Continue →
On May 30, 1971, Black veterans joined anti-war protesters in Memorial Day demonstrations across the United States, drawing attention to racial... Continue →
On May 30, 1943, Harlem held one of the largest World War II War Bond rallies in the nation, showcasing the unity and patriotism of Black Americans... Continue →
On May 30, 1868, the first national observance of Memorial Day (then called Decoration Day) honored Union soldiers who died in the Civil War,... Continue →
On May 31, 1870, the U.S. Congress passed the Enforcement Act of 1870 to uphold the 15th Amendment, which granted Black men the right to vote. This... Continue →
The Treaty of Vereeniging, signed on May 31, 1902, ended the Second Boer War between the British Empire and Afrikaner republics in South Africa.... Continue →
On June 1, 1980, Andrea Hollen became the first African-American woman to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. A Rhodes... Continue →
On June 1, 1951, the first contingent of Ethiopian troops arrived in Korea as part of the United Nations forces fighting in the Korean War. Under... Continue →
On June 1, 1975, the MPLA (People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola) declared a provisional government and assumed control over most of... Continue →
On June 2, 1863, Harriet Tubman became the first woman in U.S. history to lead a military raid when she guided Union troops in the Combahee River... Continue →
Although centered in the U.S., the Detroit race riot of June 2, 1943, had international ramifications. News of the violence spread rapidly across... Continue →
On June 2, 1921, the South African Zulu community held a major ceremonial tribute honoring Queen Nandi, mother of the legendary King Shaka Zulu,... Continue →
On June 4, 1844, Haitian forces under President Charles Rivière-Hérard launched an invasion of the newly independent Dominican Republic. The DR had... Continue →
On June 5, 1967, Israel launched a preemptive strike on Egypt, starting the Six-Day War. Among U.S. military support and intelligence efforts,... Continue →
As the United Nations Charter was finalized on June 5, 1945, several African and Caribbean representatives—though mostly under colonial... Continue →
On June 6, 1987, Dr. Mae Jemison was selected by NASA as the first Black woman to enter the astronaut training program. A physician, engineer, and... Continue →
On June 6, 1944, Allied forces launched the D-Day invasion of Normandy, and among them were thousands of African American troops. Despite serving in... Continue →
On June 6, 2001, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution officially recognizing the Montford Point Marines, the first African Americans to serve in the... Continue →
On June 7, 1943, Black American soldiers stationed in Bamber Bridge, England, engaged in an armed standoff with white military police. The conflict,... Continue →
On June 7, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to formally enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after it had been... Continue →
On June 8, 1967, boxing champion Muhammad Ali was formally indicted by a federal grand jury for refusing induction into the U.S. Army during the... Continue →
On June 8, 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Charles F. Bolden Jr. as the Administrator of NASA—the first African American to permanently lead... Continue →
On June 9, 1865, Union troops under General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, weeks ahead of his famous June 19 order that would later... Continue →
On June 9, 1948, 1st Lt. Charles L. Thomas was posthumously recognized for heroic action during World War II. A member of the 614th Tank Destroyer... Continue →
On June 9, 1967, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., leader of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, was promoted to brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force, becoming its... Continue →
On June 9, 1972, whistleblower Peter Buxtun escalated his efforts to expose the Tuskegee Syphilis Study—a 40-year experiment where Black men with... Continue →
On June 9, 1991, NASA publicly confirmed astronaut Mae Jemison’s assignment to the upcoming STS-47 space mission. Her selection positioned her to... Continue →
Prince Hall, a pioneer of African American Freemasonry and a Revolutionary War veteran, is believed to have died on June 10, 1806. Hall was a vocal... Continue →
On June 10, 1861, just two months into the Civil War, the U.S. Navy officially recorded the enlistment of William H. Brown, making him one of the... Continue →
On June 10, 1944, in Nazi-occupied France, the village of Oradour-sur-Glane was destroyed by the Waffen-SS, who murdered 642 inhabitants in one of... Continue →
On June 12, 1945, the U.S. Marine Corps officially desegregated its training program at Montford Point, North Carolina. Previously segregated,... Continue →
On June 12, 1970, the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) escalated its armed resistance against Portuguese colonial rule. This marked a... Continue →
On June 12, 1898, the Philippines declared independence from Spain. Among those who fought in the revolution were Afro-Filipino descendants of... Continue →
On June 14, 1877, Henry Ossian Flipper became the first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Born into... Continue →
On June 14, 1941, Robert L. Carter, who would later become a legal mastermind behind Brown v. Board of Education, enlisted in the U.S. Army Air... Continue →
On June 14, 1791, Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a man of African descent born in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), received a promotion in the French... Continue →
On June 15, 1877, Henry Ossian Flipper became the first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Born into... Continue →
On this day in 1864, Grant outwitted Lee by shifting campaign from Cold Harbor to Petersburg. Surprise attack by Gen. W.F. ("Baldy") Smith succeeded... Continue →
On this day, the U.S. Congress passed legislation ensuring that African American soldiers in the Union Army received equal pay, arms, equipment, and... Continue →
On June 15, 1987, General Hazel Johnson-Brown retired from the United States Army, concluding a trailblazing career as the first Black woman to... Continue →
ON this day in 1812,the United States declared war on Britain War. Although the U.S. Army did not enlist African Americans after the Revolutionary... Continue →
On this day in 1964, Siege of Petersburg and Richmond began. Thirty-two Black infantry regiments and Black cavalry regiments were involved in siege.... Continue →
Civil rights leader Medgar Evers was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on June 16, 1963, just days after he was... Continue →
On this date in 1775, Peter Salem a free slave and a private in Captain Simon Edgel's company at the battle of Bunker Hill, was the first military... Continue →
On this date in 1862, Congress authorized President Lincoln to accept blacks in Union Army.
On June 17, 1775, during the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War, Black soldiers such as Peter Salem and Salem Poor fought... Continue →
On this date in 1942, the U.S. Navy commissions its first black officer, Harvard University medical student Bernard Whitfield Robinson.
On June 21, 2023, a ceremony was held in Connecticut to honor Stephen Newton, an African American Civil War veteran. Historian John Mills and the... Continue →
On June 21, 1959, Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was promoted to brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force, becoming the first African American to achieve this... Continue →
On June 22, 1959, Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force, becoming the first African American to... Continue →
On June 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department established the Bureau of Colored Troops to manage the recruitment and organization of African American... Continue →
On June 25, 1876, Isaiah Dorman, an African American interpreter and former slave, was killed during the Battle of Little Bighorn. Serving as a scout... Continue →
On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began when North Korean forces invaded South Korea. African American soldiers played significant roles in the... Continue →
Born on June 26, 1956, Bernard A. Harris Jr. became the first African American to perform a spacewalk during NASA\'s STS-63 mission in 1995. His... Continue →
Born on June 26, 1956, Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr. became the first African American to walk in space during NASA\'s STS-63 mission in 1995. His... Continue →
On June 28, 1870, Emanuel Stance, a Buffalo Soldier in the U.S. Army, became the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor after the Civil... Continue →
On June 29, 1945, the U.S. Navy released \"The Negro Sailor,\" a documentary highlighting the contributions of African American sailors during World... Continue →
On this date in 1898, during the Spanish-American War, the Tenth Cavalry, a regiment of the famed Buffalo Soldiers, played a crucial role in the... Continue →
On this date in 1873, Henry Ossian Flipper became the first African American cadet to be admitted to the United States Military Academy at West... Continue →
On this date in 1870, James Webster Smith became the first Black cadet to enter the United States Military Academy at West Point. However, he faced... Continue →
On July 1, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg commenced during the American Civil War. While not exclusively a Black history event, the battle\'s outcome... Continue →
On this date in 1943, Lt. Charles B. Hall, a member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, became the first Black pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft... Continue →
On July?3,?1919, Black members of the 10th U.S. Cavalry—the famed “Buffalo Soldiers”—clashed with local law enforcement in Bisbee, Arizona.... Continue →
On July?3,?1930, political dissident Otto Strasser officially founded the “Black Front” (Schwarze Front), a left-wing splinter movement opposing... Continue →
While not strictly a “Black event,” the Union victory on July?3,?1863, concluding the Battle of Gettysburg, forced Confederate retreat and marked... Continue →
Several sources agree that July?3,?1863, saw the results and legacy of the 54th Massachusetts’ valorous assault on Fort Wagner (the attack occurred... Continue →
On this date in 2002, Four Star General Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the first African American general in the United States Air Force, passed away at age... Continue →
On this date in 1966, the National Guard was mobilized in Omaha, Nebraska, following the third consecutive night of violent rioting. The unrest began... Continue →
On this date in 1876, the Hamburg Massacre took place in Hamburg, South Carolina, when a white supremacist mob attacked a group of Black Republican... Continue →
On this date in 1863, the siege of Port Hudson was a significant moment in the Civil War. After a long and grueling siege that lasted from May 22 to... Continue →
On this date in 1818, Cyrus Tiffany: African American heroism was not daunted by Captain Oliver H. Perry's opinion of African American sailors. An... Continue →
On this date in 1775, Horatio Gates, serving as George Washington's adjutant general, issued an order prohibiting Black men—both free and... Continue →
On this date in 1967, racial violence erupted in Newark, New Jersey, marking one of the most significant riots during the period of civil unrest in... Continue →
On this date in 1966, the city of Chicago experienced a race riot that was part of a larger wave of unrest in American cities during the 1960s. The... Continue →
On this date in 1963, the National Guard was deployed to impose limited martial law in Cambridge, Maryland, following violent clashes between... Continue →
On this date in 1951, Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois called out the National Guard to restore order in Cicero, Illinois, following violent... Continue →
On this date in 1863, the "Enrollment Act" (mandatory draft) takes effect, with exemption for the wealthy, which led to summer draft riots in New... Continue →
On this date in 1869, A.J. Hayne, a Black captain of the Arkansas militia, was assassinated in Marion, Arkansas. His death occurred in the context of... Continue →
On this date in 1864, General Andrew Jackson Smith, commanding a Union force of around 14,000 men, including a brigade of African American troops,... Continue →
On this date in 1967, the race riot in Cairo, Illinois, was a significant event in the Civil Rights Movement. Tensions between the African American... Continue →
On this date in 1944, the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California exploded. The explosion was a significant event during World War II. It occurred... Continue →
The Battle of Honey Springs, fought on July 17, 1863, was a significant engagement during the American Civil War. Union forces, including the First... Continue →
On July 17, 1862, Congress passed the Second Confiscation Act, which was an important step toward granting freedom to enslaved African Americans... Continue →
On this date in 1863, the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was one of the first official African American regiments in the... Continue →
On this date in 1863, Sergeant William H. Carney of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry became the first African American to be awarded the Congressional... Continue →
On July 19, 1941, the first U.S. Army flying school for Black cadets was dedicated at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama. This was a significant... Continue →
On July 19, 1967, a riot broke out in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of the broader civil unrest occurring across the United States during the late... Continue →
On July 20, 1950, during the Korean War, the 24th Infantry Regiment, an all-Black unit of the U.S. Army, achieved the first U.S. victory in Korea.... Continue →
On this date in 1951,Private First Class (PFC) William H. Thompson was the first African American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor during... Continue →
On July 22, 1848, President Abraham Lincoln presented a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet, though it would take a few more years... Continue →
Louis Tompkins Wright, born on July 23, 1924, was a prominent physician and one of the first African American physicians to make significant... Continue →
On July 24, 1992, General Colin Powell, who was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, dedicated the Buffalo Soldiers Monument at... Continue →
On July 25, 1972, the U.S. government admitted to the existence of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, a medical study that began in 1932. In this... Continue →
On July 25, 1943, the SS Leonard Roy Harmon was launched in Quincy, Massachusetts. It was a significant moment in history as it was the first warship... Continue →
On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, mandating the desegregation of the United States Armed Forces. The order... Continue →
On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order No. 9981, which desegregated the United States Armed Forces. This historic... Continue →
The story of Garcia and Fort Negro is a fascinating chapter in American history. After the War of 1812, a group of African Americans,... Continue →
On July 27, 1968, a riot erupted in Gary, Indiana, amid the racial and social tensions that marked the late 1960s in the United States. The unrest... Continue →
The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 was a significant and tragic event in American history. It was part of the larger "Red Summer" of 1919, during which... Continue →
On July 27, 1816, Fort Blount—more commonly known as Negro Fort—on the Apalachicola River in Florida was attacked by U.S. forces and their Creek... Continue →
On July 28, 1915, U.S. Marines landed in Haiti, beginning an occupation that lasted until 1934. This intervention was primarily driven by U.S.... Continue →
Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr. was selected by NASA in January 1990 and officially became an astronaut in July 1991. He was qualified for the mission... Continue →
The Milwaukee riot took place from July 30 to August 3, 1967, during a time of racial tension across the United States. The riot was sparked by an... Continue →
White Democrats, led by police, attacked a convention of Black and white Republicans in New Orleans. More than 40 persons were killed, and at least... Continue →
On July 30, 1864, during the American Civil War, the Union forces attempted a major assault by exploding a mine beneath the Confederate lines near... Continue →
President Abraham Lincoln issued the "eye-for-eye" order on July 30, 1863, during the Civil War as part of his efforts to address the treatment of... Continue →
On July 31, 1969, the Louisiana National Guard was mobilized in response to racial disturbances in Baton Rouge. These disturbances stemmed from... Continue →
On August 1, 1943, a race riot erupted in Harlem, New York City, following rising tensions between African Americans and the police. The riot was... Continue →
On August 1, 1868, Governor Henry C. Warmoth of Louisiana called for federal military intervention in the state, highlighting a severe... Continue →
On August 2, 1951, First Lieutenant Vernon Baker became the first African American to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Korean... Continue →
On August 3, 1781, during the American Revolutionary War, African American soldier James Armistead Lafayette played a pivotal role in... Continue →
John Lawson was a notable African American sailor who served as a gunner on the USS Hartford, Admiral David Farragut's flagship during the Battle of... Continue →
On August 6, 1941, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and involved a violent altercation between Black and white soldiers, resulting in the... Continue →
On August 12, 1965, a race riot erupted on the West Side of Chicago, following tensions related to civil rights, police brutality, and economic... Continue →
Charles Edward Anderson, born on August 13, 1919, was an influential American meteorologist. He is particularly known for his pioneering work in... Continue →
On August 13, 1906, an incident known as the Brownsville Raid occurred in Brownsville, Texas, involving a group of African American soldiers from the... Continue →
On August 18, 1976, Vice Admiral Samuel L. Garvely Jr. assumed command of the U.S. Third Fleet. The Third Fleet is a major fleet of the U.S. Navy,... Continue →
Charles F. Bolden Jr. was born on August 19, 1946, in Columbia, South Carolina. He is a former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Marine Corps major... Continue →
The SS Frederick Douglass was a Liberty ship named in honor of the famous abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass. Liberty ships were... Continue →
On August 21, 1943, Major Charity Adams Earley became the first Black woman to be promoted to the rank of major in the Women's Army Corps (WAC)... Continue →
James Stone was an African American who fought in the Civil War, and there are records suggesting that he was one of the first Black soldiers to... Continue →
On August 25, 1862, during the Civil War, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton authorized Major General Rufus Saxton to enlist and arm up to 5,000... Continue →
Katherine G. Johnson was a pioneering mathematician and aerospace technologist whose work at NASA was crucial in the success of several space... Continue →
On August 28, 1966, the National Guard was mobilized in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to protect civil rights marchers protesting against racial segregation.... Continue →
On August 30, 1969, the National Guard was mobilized in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to control racial disturbances that erupted during a period of... Continue →
On September 1, 1975, General Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. was promoted to the rank of four-star general. This historic promotion made him the first... Continue →
On September 2, 1945, World War II officially ended with the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.... Continue →
On September 2, 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman occupied Atlanta, marking a significant moment in the American Civil War. This strategic... Continue →
On September 3, 1918, during World War I, five soldiers from the British Army were hanged for desertion. The soldiers were executed for abandoning... 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 →
On this date in 1962, Some twelve thousand federal soldiers restored order on the University of Mississippi campus. James H. Meredith, escorted by... Continue →
On this date in 1951, The Twenty-fourth Infantry Regiment, last of all-Black units military units authorized by Congress in 1866, deactivated in... Continue →
On this date in 1935, Robert H Lawrence (Named the first Black astronaut), was born on this date.
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 1996, Congress passed a bill authorizing the creation of 500,000 Black Revolutionary War Patriots Commemorative coins.
On this day in 1777, African Americans Replaced Reluctant Whites as, losses on the field of battle and rising White desertions reduced the... Continue →
On this date in 1895, W.D. Davis patented an improved riding saddle. Davis invented his saddle while serving as a buffalo soldier, African American... Continue →
On this date in 1775, Council of general officers decided to bar slaves and free Blacks from Continental Army.
On this date in 1940, the White House released a statement which said that government "policy is not to intermingle colored and white enlisted... Continue →
On this date in 1814, General Jackson Reneges On His Promise: General Jackson, on order to prepare to meet Packenham, the British General, in the... Continue →
ON this date in 1972, 46 Black and white sailors injured in race riot on the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk of North Vietnam.
On this date in 1926, First Black naval aviator, Jesse Leroy Brown was born.
On this date in 1974, National Guard mobilized to restore order in Boston school busing crisis.
ON this date in 1940, Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. named the first Black general in the regular army.
ON this date in 1859, John Brown attacked Harpers Ferry, Virginia, with thirteen white men and five Blacks. Two of the five Blacks were killed, two... Continue →
On this date in 1956, Mae C. Jemison was born the youngest of three children of Charlie and Dorothy Jemison, a maintenance worker and schoolteacher.... Continue →
On this date in 1983, Grenada's U.S. educated Prime Minister Maurice Bishop killed in a military coup.
On this date in 1872, John H Conyers becomes the first African American to enter the US Naval Academy.
On this date in 1775, Continental Congress approved resolution barring African Americans from the army. Although, throughout the war, Washington, the... Continue →
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 1940, Benjamin O Davis becomes the first Black general in US Army.
On this date in 1892, Lincoln F. Brown patents Bridle bit. Patent No. 484,994
On this date in 1876, President sent federal troops to South Carolina.
On this date in 1954, B.O. Davis Jr. became the first Black general in the U.S. Air Force.
On this date in 1862, First Kansas Colored Volunteers repulsed and drove off superior force of rebels at Island Mound, Missouri. This was the first... Continue →
On this dated in 1954, Defense Department announced elimination of all segregated regiments in the armed forces.
On this date in 1970, National Guard mobilized in Henderson, N.C., due to riots.
ON this date in 1917, Emmett J. Scott, former secretary to Booker T. Washington, was appointed special assistant to the Secretary of War. His role... Continue →
On this date in 1906, President Roosevelt ordered discharge of three companies of Twenty-fifth Regiment for alleged involvement in the Brownsville... Continue →
On November 7, 1916, Colonel Charles Young was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his outstanding military service and leadership in... Continue →
On November 7, 1775, Lord Dunmore's Proclamation was issued, marking a significant moment in Black history during the American Revolution. ? Lord... Continue →
Arkansas Governor Powell Clayton declared martial law in ten counties due to widespread racial violence perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan during the... Continue →
On this day, the armistice was signed, ending World War I. Official U.S. military records show that approximately 370,000 African American soldiers... Continue →
In the early months of the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington, under pressure from Southern slaveholding interests, issued an... Continue →
On November 16, 1972, a tragic incident unfolded at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Student protests concerning the university's... Continue →
On November 17, 1899, David Fagen—a Black Buffalo Soldier in the U.S. Army—defected during the Philippine-American War and joined the Filipino... Continue →
Colonel Frederick D. Gregory, a U.S. Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut, became the first African American to command a space mission when he led... Continue →
Guion S. Bluford Jr. was born on November 22, 1942, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A decorated Air Force pilot, aerospace engineer, and NASA... Continue →
Stephen Atkins Swails (1832–1900) was a notable African American figure during the Reconstruction era. After serving with distinction in the 54th... Continue →
Benjamin O. Davis Sr., the first African American to achieve the rank of general in the U.S. Army, died at age 93 in Chicago. Commissioned as an... Continue →
On this day, federal troops withdrew from Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, after nearly two months of protecting the Little Rock Nine... Continue →
James Robinson, an enslaved African American who became a decorated soldier in the Revolutionary War, was born on this day in 1753. He fought... Continue →
On this date, the Continental Congress moved to officially allow the enlistment of Black men—both free and enslaved—into the American Army during... Continue →
The Twenty-Fifth Corps was officially established within the Union Army of the James, becoming the largest all-Black unit in the history of the U.S.... Continue →
On this day, General George Washington delivered his emotional farewell address to his officers of the Continental Army at Fraunces Tavern in New... Continue →
In response to post–World War II racial violence, including lynchings and mob attacks on Black veterans and civilians, President Harry S. Truman... Continue →
Charity Adams Earley was born in Kittrell, North Carolina. In 1942, she became the first African American woman to be commissioned as an officer in... Continue →
Salem Poor, a formerly enslaved Black man and soldier in the American Revolutionary War, was recognized by 14 officers for his extraordinary bravery... Continue →
Sergeant Thomas Shaw, a member of the 9th Cavalry Regiment—one of the original Buffalo Soldier units—was awarded the Medal of Honor for his... Continue →
Doris “Dorie” Miller, a mess attendant from Waco, Texas, displayed extraordinary bravery during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor while serving... Continue →
On December 10, 1864, the 5th and 6th United States Colored Cavalry (USCC) Regiments commenced their participation in Stoneman's Raid into... Continue →
Dr. Ralph Bunche was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role as chief United Nations mediator in the 1949 armistice negotiations that ended the... Continue →
On this day, 13 African American soldiers of the 24th Infantry Regiment were executed by hanging at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, without the chance to... Continue →
On December 26, 1944, Harriet Ida Pickens and Frances Eliza Wills became the first African American women commissioned as officers in the U.S. Navy's... Continue →
Under increasing pressure and facing troop shortages, General George Washington reversed a previous policy and allowed free Black men to enlist in... Continue →
In one of the decisive battles of the American Civil War, two brigades of United States Colored Troops (USCT) played a crucial role in defeating... Continue →
On December 15, 1934, William Taylor Burwell Williams was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for his exceptional contributions to education.... Continue →
Deborah Sampson Gannett, born on December 17, 1760, in Plympton, Massachusetts, was a remarkable figure in American history. She is best known for... Continue →
On this day, Queen Nzinga (also spelled Nzingha or Njinga), the legendary ruler of Ndongo and Matamba in present-day Angola, passed away. Known as... Continue →
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, upheld the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which led to the internment of over 120,000 Japanese... Continue →
Benjamin O. Davis Sr., the first African American to become a General in the U.S. Army, was born in Washington, D.C. on this day. His military career... Continue →
By the end of the Civil War, nearly one out of every four sailors in the Union Navy was Black. Out of 118,044 Union naval personnel, 29,511 were... Continue →
Although this date precedes the U.S. Civil War (1861–1865), it's often cited in historical summaries to highlight the eventual scale of Black... Continue →
On this day in 1863, Robert Blake, serving as a powder boy aboard the USS Marblehead, became the first Black American awarded the Naval Medal of... Continue →
During the Second Seminole War, a combined force of Seminole Indians and Black Seminoles was defeated by American troops at the Battle of Okeechobee... Continue →
On this day, Karen Farmer broke racial barriers by becoming the first African American admitted to the Daughters of the American Revolution. She... Continue →
Alarmed by the potential impact of the British Governor Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation—which offered freedom to enslaved people who joined British... Continue →
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