National Pan-Hellenic Council

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Jan

25

1980

Scott Joplin, the King of Ragtime, was born on this day in 1868 in Texarkana, Te

Scott Joplin, the King of Ragtime, was born on this day in 1868 in Texarkana, Texas. A skilled pianist and composer, Joplin started a 20-year ragtime craze with the release of his composition Maple Leaf Rag in 1897, during the Gay Nineties. Ragtime-scored piano music-at the time was considered

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Apr

1

1917

The 99th Pursuit Squadron, an all African American

The 99th Pursuit Squadron, an all African American unit is formed and the Tuskegee Training Program is established, the 99th will fly more than 500 missions and more than 3,700 sorties during one year of combat before being combined with the 332nd Fighter Group.

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Jan

16

1941

Death of P.B.S. Pinchback

Death of P.B.S. Pinchback (84), major Reconstruction politician, Washington, D.C.

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Dec

21

1921

Cellular Phone Invented

Henry Sampson, an african-american, invented the cellular phone.

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Jul

6

1971

Civil Rights Movement

On this day the African American community of Montgomery, Alabama voted unanimously to end its 385 day bus-boycott.

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Dec

20

1956

the Bronze Muse

On this day, the Bronze Muse died in

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Feb

22

1911

Zora Neale Hurston, writer/anthropologist born

Zora Neale Hurston

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Jan

7

1891

African American Captures British General

African American Captures British General Prescott: African Americans continued to serve in the colonial militias, and some, like Prince, an African American man in Lieutenant Colonel Bartons Rhode island army, showed great daring and bravery. Early in August 1777, Colonel Barton conceived a plan

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Aug

3

2002

Baseball Great Jackie Robinson born

In Cairo, Georgia on this date baseball great Jackie Robinson was born. The fifth African American to play major league baseball with a white team, Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, ending five decades of segregated baseball. At the time of his retirement in October 1972, Robinson is

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Jan

31

1919

Samuel L. Gravely is born

Samuel Gravely was appointed captain of the Navy Destroyer Escort, U.S.S. Falgout, the first African American to command a United States warship. He later received the rand of Rear Admiral, a first for an African American navyman.

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Jun

4

1922

William T. Coleman is named Secretary of Transpor

William T. Coleman is named Secretary of Transportation by President Gerald R. Ford. He is the second African American to hold a Cabinet level position

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Jan

14

1975

Network news anchor

Max Robinson is the first African American to anchor network news. The network is ABC.

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Apr

19

1978

Willie D. Burton

Willie D. Burton becomes the first African American to win the Oscar for sound, for the movie Bird.

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Apr

11

1988

Terry McMillan, novelist born

Terry McMillan

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Oct

18

1951

Rev. George Leile

Rev. George Leile was the first African American to be ordained a Baptist minister in America. He was an early pastor of the First African Baptist Church of Silver Bluf, South Carolina. Curiously, he supported the British during the American Revolutionary war because of the Britishs promise to free

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Jan

0

1770

The Chip Woman's Fortune by Willis Richardson

The Chip Womans Fortune by Willis Richardson, the first dramatic work by an African American playwright to be mounted on Broadway, opens at the Frazee Theatre on Broadway

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May

15

1923

Larry Doby

Larry Doby is born. He will become the first African American in baseballs American League, playing for the Cleveland Indians. He will be the 1954 RBI leader.

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Dec

13

1924

Congressman William Gray

Congressman William Gray is elected Democratic Whip of the House of Representatives, the highest ranking leadership position ever held by an African American in Congress.

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Jun

14

1989

Guion S. Bluford, Jr---Astronaut (birthday)

Guion S. Bluford, Jr., Ph.D. (Colonel, U.S. Air Force - Retired): First African-American in Space

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Nov

22

1942

Max Robinson, first African American news anchor for a major television network

Max Robinson, first African American news anchor for a major television network died today.

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Dec

20

1988

Composer and violinist, Clarence C White, dies, 1880

Composer and violinist, Clarence C White, born

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Aug

10

1880

Death of George Washington Williams

Death of George Washington Williams (41), Blackpool, England. Williams served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1880 to 1881, during the 64th session of the General Assembly. He was the first African-American to serve in the Ohio Legislature.

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Aug

4

1891

Malcolm X born in Omaha, Nebraska

Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother, Louis Norton Little, was a homemaker occupied with the familys eight children. His father, Earl Little, was an outspoken Baptist minister and avid supporter of Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Earls civil

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May

19

1925

Evelyn Boyd Granville is born

Evelyn Boyd Granville, Born May 1, 1924 in Washington, D.C. and attended Dunbar High School, a segregated high school at the time. Her interest in mathematics was encouraged by two mathematics teachers. Granville worked with Einar Hille, a distinguished mathematician in the field of functional

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May

1

1924

Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe makes history by becoming the first African American male to win the mens single title at Wimbledon, defeating Jimmy Connors.

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Jul

5

1975

Wellington Webb is elected mayor

City Auditor Wellington Webb is elected mayor of Denver, Colo. He is the first African American to hold the post.

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Jun

18

1991

First Prizefighter Bill Richmond born

Bill Richmond, son of a slave, became the first African American to distinguish himself as a prizefighter. On this date, Richmond knocked out Jack Holmes in England.

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Jul

8

1805

Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson appears on the cover of Life magazine; first time an African American is featured on the cover in the magazines 13 year history

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May

10

1950

Charles Chesnutt Born

Charles Chesnutt, one of the first African-Americans to gain a national audience, is born in Cleveland Ohio.

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Jun

20

1858

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