Legal
53 facts
Dred Scott v. Sandford Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, were not citizens and had no standing to sue in federal court.
Brown v. Board of Education
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.
Civil Rights Act of 1964 Signed
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Thurgood Marshall Confirmed to Supreme Court
Thurgood Marshall became the first African American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
14th Amendment Ratified
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting citizenship to all persons born in the United States.
Voting Rights Act Signed
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, outlawing discriminatory voting practices.
Loving v. Virginia Decision
The Supreme Court struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage in the landmark Loving v. Virginia case.
Loving v. Virginia
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously struck down laws banning interracial marriage in Loving v. Virginia.
Thurgood Marshall Sworn In as Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African American Supreme Court Justice.
13th Amendment Ratified
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, abolishing slavery, was ratified.
Dred Scott Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott v. Sandford that African Americans were not citizens and had no right to sue in federal court.
Thurgood Marshall Confirmed as Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood Marshall was confirmed as the first African American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Civil Rights Act Signed
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmed to Supreme Court
Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed as the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
George Floyd Murdered in Minneapolis
George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, sparking worldwide protests against racial injustice.
Civil Rights Act of 1866 Passed
Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the first federal law to define U.S. citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by the law.
Montgomery Bus Boycott Ends
The Montgomery Bus Boycott ended after 381 days when the Supreme Court ruled bus segregation unconstitutional.
Plessy v. Ferguson
The Supreme Court upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.
Emmett Till's Murderers Acquitted
An all-white jury acquitted Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam of the murder of Emmett Till after deliberating for just 67 minutes.
Franklin and Armfield Slave Trading Firm
The Transatlantic slave trade was formally abolished by Britain with the passage of the Slave Trade Act.
Derek Chauvin Convicted of Murder
Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, a rare conviction of a police officer.
Trayvon Martin Killed in Sanford, Florida
Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black teenager, was fatally shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida.
Founding of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Thurgood Marshall founded the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund as a separate entity to fight racial injustice through the courts.
Scottsboro Boys Arrested
Nine African American teenagers were arrested in Alabama and falsely accused of assaulting two white women.
Reconstruction Begins
Congress passed the first Reconstruction Act, dividing the former Confederate states into five military districts.
Pauli Murray Born
Pauli Murray, civil rights activist, lawyer, poet, and first African American woman ordained as an Episcopal priest, was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
Fugitive Slave Act Passed
Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, requiring citizens to assist in the capture of runaway enslaved people.
Charles Hamilton Houston Born
Charles Hamilton Houston, the legal architect of the civil rights movement, was born in Washington, D.C.
Constance Baker Motley Becomes Federal Judge
Constance Baker Motley became the first African American woman appointed as a federal judge.
Amistad Revolt
Enslaved Africans aboard the ship La Amistad seized control of the vessel off the coast of Cuba.
Mandela Signs South African Constitution
Nelson Mandela signed South Africa's new constitution, one of the most progressive in the world.
24th Amendment Ratified
The 24th Amendment was ratified, prohibiting poll taxes in federal elections.
Canada Abolishes Slavery
The British Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act, which abolished slavery throughout the British Empire including Canada.
Missouri Compromise Enacted
Congress passed the Missouri Compromise, admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while banning slavery north of the 36°30' parallel.
Constance Baker Motley Born
Constance Baker Motley, civil rights lawyer and first African American woman federal judge, was born in New Haven, Connecticut.
Breonna Taylor Killed in Louisville
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was shot and killed by Louisville police during a no-knock raid on her apartment.
Ahmaud Arbery's Killers Convicted
Three men were convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was chased and shot while jogging in Georgia.
Tyre Nichols Killed by Memphis Police
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died three days after being severely beaten by Memphis police officers during a traffic stop.
Philando Castile Killed During Traffic Stop
Philando Castile, a 32-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.
Oliver Hill Born
Oliver Hill, civil rights attorney who helped end school segregation, was born in Richmond, Virginia.
Angola Three Imprisoned
Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox, and Robert King were placed in solitary confinement at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
Dred Scott Born
Dred Scott, enslaved man whose lawsuit for freedom reached the Supreme Court, was born in Southampton County, Virginia.
Eric Holder Becomes Attorney General
Eric Holder was sworn in as the first African American U.S. Attorney General.
Celia, Enslaved Woman, Executed
Celia, a 19-year-old enslaved woman, was executed in Missouri for killing her enslaver who had repeatedly raped her.
Haiti Founded as Republic
Byron De La Beckwith was convicted of the 1963 murder of Medgar Evers, 31 years after the crime.
Emmett Till Justice Act Signed
President Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, making lynching a federal hate crime.
West Virginia State College v. Brewster
The Supreme Court ruled that the University of Texas must admit Heman Marion Sweatt to its law school.
Clarence Thomas Nominated to Supreme Court
President George H.W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to replace Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court.
Hinton Rowan Helper Published
Charlotte E. Ray became the first African American woman admitted to a bar association and to practice law.
Ava DuVernay's 13th Released on Netflix
Ava DuVernay's documentary "13th," examining mass incarceration and its roots in slavery, premiered on Netflix.
Daunte Wright Killed During Traffic Stop
Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
Sandra Bland Dies in Texas Jail
Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old Black woman, was found dead in her jail cell three days after a contentious traffic stop in Waller County, Texas.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Born
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court justice who cited Pauli Murray's civil rights work in her gender equality arguments, was born in Brooklyn.