Politics
172 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.
Ghana Becomes Independent
Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from European colonial rule, with Kwame Nkrumah as its leader.
Bloody Sunday in Selma
Civil rights marchers were brutally attacked by state troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, during a march for voting rights.
Emancipation Proclamation Takes Effect
President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation took effect, declaring enslaved people in Confederate states to be free.
Martin Luther King Jr. Born
Martin Luther King Jr., who would become the most prominent leader of the American civil rights movement, was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
Malcolm X Assassinated
Malcolm X, influential Black nationalist leader and human rights advocate, was assassinated while speaking at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City.
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 39.
Juneteenth: Emancipation Reaches Texas
Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and enslaved people were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
March on Washington
Over 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.
Barack Obama Elected President
Barack Obama was elected as the 44th President of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation's highest office.
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.
Thurgood Marshall Confirmed as First Black Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood Marshall became the first African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Executive Order 9981 Desegregates Military
President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, desegregating the U.S. Armed Forces.
Nelson Mandela Born
Anti-apartheid revolutionary and South African President Nelson Mandela was born in Mvezo, South Africa.
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.
Nelson Mandela Released from Prison
Nelson Mandela was released from Victor Verster Prison in South Africa after 27 years of imprisonment.
Haitian Revolution Begins
The Haitian Revolution, the only successful large-scale slave revolt in history, began with an uprising in Saint-Domingue.
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.
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all enslaved people in Confederate states to be free.
Haiti Declares Independence
Haiti became the first Black republic and the second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere after a successful slave revolution.
South Africa Holds First Democratic Election
South Africa held its first fully democratic election, with Nelson Mandela winning the presidency.
Alex Trebek Features Black History on Jeopardy
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Nelson Mandela Dies
Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid hero and first Black president of South Africa, died at age 95.
Obama Inaugurated
Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States, the first African American to hold the office.
NAACP Founded Date
The NAACP was founded on Abraham Lincoln's 100th birthday by a multiracial group of activists.
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.
Kamala Harris Inaugurated as Vice President
Kamala Harris was inaugurated as the first Black, first South Asian, and first female Vice President of the United States.
First Black U.S. Senator Sworn In
Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American U.S. Senator, representing Mississippi.
MOVE Bombing in Philadelphia
Philadelphia police dropped a bomb on the MOVE organization headquarters, killing 11 people and destroying 65 homes.
Hiram Revels Sworn In as First Black U.S. Senator
Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American to serve in the United States Congress when he was sworn into the U.S. Senate.
Shirley Chisholm Elected to Congress
Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress.
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Signed
The Fugitive Slave Act required the return of escaped enslaved people, intensifying abolitionist efforts.
Stokely Carmichael Coins "Black Power"
Stokely Carmichael popularized the phrase "Black Power" during a rally in Greenwood, Mississippi.
Shirley Chisholm Born
Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, was born in Brooklyn, New York.
First African American Senator Sworn In
Hiram Revels became the first African American U.S. Senator.
Booker T. Washington Born
Booker T. Washington, educator, author, and advisor to presidents, was born into slavery in Virginia.
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.
Shirley Chisholm Announces Presidential Campaign
Shirley Chisholm announced her candidacy for President of the United States, becoming the first Black major-party candidate.
Sojourner Truth Delivers "Ain't I a Woman" Speech
Sojourner Truth delivered her famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech at the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio.
Slave Trade Abolished in British Empire
The British Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act, abolishing the transatlantic slave trade throughout the British Empire.
Fannie Lou Hamer Testifies Before DNC Credentials Committee
Fannie Lou Hamer testified before the Democratic National Convention credentials committee about the violence she faced trying to vote.
John Lewis Born
John Lewis, civil rights icon and longtime U.S. congressman, was born in Troy, Alabama.
Muhammad Ali Refuses Induction
Muhammad Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War.
Black Panther Party Founded
Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in Oakland, California.
Desmond Tutu Wins Nobel Peace Prize
South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent campaign against apartheid.
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner led the most significant slave rebellion in American history in Southampton County, Virginia.
Plessy v. Ferguson
The Supreme Court upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.
Sojourner Truth Delivers "Ain't I a Woman?" Speech
Sojourner Truth delivered her famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech at the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio.
Hiram Revels Becomes First Black U.S. Senator
Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Shirley Chisholm Runs for President
Shirley Chisholm became the first woman and first African American to seek a major party's presidential nomination.
Tommie Smith and John Carlos Raise Fists
Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a Black Power salute at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Kamala Harris Elected Vice President
Kamala Harris became the first woman, first African American, and first South Asian American elected Vice President of the United States.
Ghana Gains Independence
Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonial rule.
Selma to Montgomery Marches Conclude
The third Selma to Montgomery march concluded with 25,000 marchers arriving at the Alabama State Capitol.
Toussaint Louverture Born
Toussaint Louverture, leader of the Haitian Revolution, was born into slavery in Saint-Domingue (Haiti).
Apartheid Ends in South Africa
South African President F.W. de Klerk announced the end of the ban on the ANC and other anti-apartheid organizations.
Frederick Douglass Delivers "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" Speech
Frederick Douglass delivered one of the most powerful speeches in American history, challenging the nation's celebration of freedom while enslaving millions.
Martin Luther King Jr. Writes Letter from Birmingham Jail
Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail," defending nonviolent resistance to injustice.
Reconstruction Ends
Federal troops withdrew from the South as part of the Compromise of 1877, ending Reconstruction and beginning the era of Jim Crow.
Sojourner Truth Born
Sojourner Truth, abolitionist and women's rights activist, was born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree in Swartekill, New York.
Barack Obama Born
Barack Obama, the 44th President and first African American president, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Nelson Mandela Wins Nobel Peace Prize
Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to dismantle apartheid.
Black Lives Matter Founded
Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi founded the Black Lives Matter movement after the acquittal of George Zimmerman.
Juneteenth Becomes Federal Holiday
President Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday, the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
John Lewis Dies
John Lewis, civil rights icon and U.S. congressman, died at age 80 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Crispus Attucks Killed in Boston Massacre
Crispus Attucks, a man of African and Native American descent, was the first person killed in the Boston Massacre, often cited as the first casualty of the American Revolution.
Million Man March
Hundreds of thousands of Black men gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the Million Man March, organized by Louis Farrakhan.
Mary McLeod Bethune Born
Educator and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune was born in Mayesville, South Carolina.
First Black Governor in U.S. History
L. Douglas Wilder was inaugurated as the first elected Black governor of Virginia.
Haitian Flag Day
Haiti celebrates its flag, which was created during the Haitian Revolution by removing the white stripe from the French tricolor.
Jamaica Gains Independence
Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom, becoming a sovereign nation.
John Brown Executed
Abolitionist John Brown was executed for his raid on Harpers Ferry, an act intended to spark a slave rebellion.
Jesse Jackson Born
Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader, Baptist minister, and two-time presidential candidate, was born in Greenville, South Carolina.
Colin Powell Becomes Secretary of State
Colin Powell was sworn in as the first African American Secretary of State.
Condoleezza Rice Becomes Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice was sworn in as the first African American woman to serve as Secretary of State.
March on Washington Planned
A. Philip Randolph first proposed a march on Washington to protest discrimination in defense industries.
Barbara Jordan Born
Barbara Jordan, the first African American elected to the Texas Senate and a powerful voice in Congress, was born in Houston.
Booker T. Washington Dies
Booker T. Washington, educator, author, and adviser to presidents, died at Tuskegee Institute.
Robert Smalls Captures Confederate Ship
Robert Smalls, an enslaved man, commandeered a Confederate military vessel and sailed it to freedom.
Reconstruction Begins
Congress passed the first Reconstruction Act, dividing the former Confederate states into five military districts.
Ralph Bunche Wins Nobel Peace Prize
Ralph Bunche became the first African American to win the Nobel Peace Prize, for mediating the Arab-Israeli conflict.
A. Philip Randolph Born
A. Philip Randolph, labor leader and organizer of the March on Washington, was born in Crescent City, Florida.
Bayard Rustin Born
Bayard Rustin, chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington and advocate of nonviolent resistance, was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
James Weldon Johnson Born
James Weldon Johnson, author, diplomat, and civil rights leader who wrote "Lift Every Voice and Sing," was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
Carol Moseley Braun Elected to Senate
Carol Moseley Braun became the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
Ella Baker Born
Ella Baker, civil rights organizer who mentored a generation of activists, was born in Norfolk, Virginia.
Fugitive Slave Act Passed
Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, requiring citizens to assist in the capture of runaway enslaved people.
Kwame Nkrumah Born
Kwame Nkrumah, leader of Ghana's independence movement and first president, was born in Nkroful, Gold Coast.
Patrice Lumumba Assassinated
Patrice Lumumba, the first democratically elected leader of the Congo, was assassinated.
Constance Baker Motley Becomes Federal Judge
Constance Baker Motley became the first African American woman appointed as a federal judge.
Nigeria Gains Independence
Nigeria gained its independence from British colonial rule.
Robert Smalls Born
Robert Smalls, Civil War hero and U.S. Congressman who escaped slavery by stealing a Confederate ship, was born in Beaufort, South Carolina.
South Africa Wins Rugby World Cup Under Mandela
South Africa won the Rugby World Cup, with President Nelson Mandela presenting the trophy wearing a Springbok jersey, symbolizing racial reconciliation.
Mandela Signs South African Constitution
Nelson Mandela signed South Africa's new constitution, one of the most progressive in the world.
John Lewis Dies
John Lewis, civil rights icon and longtime congressman, died at age 80 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Colin Powell Born
Colin Powell, the first African American Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was born in Harlem, New York.
24th Amendment Ratified
The 24th Amendment was ratified, prohibiting poll taxes in federal elections.
National Black History Month Established
President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month during the nation's bicentennial.
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.
First Black Mayor of Major U.S. City
Carl Stokes was elected mayor of Cleveland, becoming the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city.
Kwame Ture Born
Stokely Carmichael (later Kwame Ture), who popularized the phrase "Black Power," was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Toussaint Louverture Dies
Toussaint Louverture, leader of the Haitian Revolution, died in a French prison.
Raphael Warnock Elected to U.S. Senate
Raphael Warnock became the first Black senator from Georgia, winning a runoff election.
Amanda Gorman Reads at Presidential Inauguration
Amanda Gorman became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, reciting "The Hill We Climb" at President Biden's inauguration.
Selma 50th Anniversary March
President Obama and civil rights leaders marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, to mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
Booker T. Washington Delivers Atlanta Compromise Speech
Booker T. Washington delivered his famous Atlanta Compromise address advocating vocational education for African Americans.
P.B.S. Pinchback Becomes First Black Governor
P.B.S. Pinchback became the first African American to serve as governor of a U.S. state when he assumed office in Louisiana.
Mary McLeod Bethune Leads Black Cabinet
Mary McLeod Bethune became the highest-ranking African American woman in the Roosevelt administration.
Stokely Carmichael Born
Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture), who popularized the phrase "Black Power," was born in Trinidad.
Andrew Young Elected to Congress
Andrew Young became the first African American congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction.
Congressional Black Caucus Founded
The Congressional Black Caucus was formally established by 13 Black members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Denmark Vesey Executed
Denmark Vesey, a formerly enslaved man, was executed for organizing what would have been one of the largest slave revolts in U.S. history.
Dorothy Height Born
Dorothy Height, civil rights and women's rights leader, was born in Richmond, Virginia.
Million Woman March
Hundreds of thousands of African American women gathered in Philadelphia for the Million Woman March.
Elijah Muhammad Born
Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam for over 40 years, was born in Sandersville, Georgia.
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Elected to Congress
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. became the first African American from New York elected to Congress.
Mary Church Terrell Born
Mary Church Terrell, activist, educator, and first president of the National Association of Colored Women, was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
Denmark Vesey's Planned Rebellion Discovered
Denmark Vesey's planned slave revolt in Charleston, South Carolina, was betrayed before it could be carried out.
Edward Brooke Elected to Senate
Edward Brooke became the first African American popularly elected to the U.S. Senate.
Dorothy Irene Height Dies
Dorothy Height, civil rights and women's rights leader, died at age 98 in Washington, D.C.
Blanche Bruce Elected to Senate
Blanche Bruce became the first African American to serve a full term in the U.S. Senate.
Claudia Jones Born
Claudia Jones, Trinidadian-born activist who founded the Notting Hill Carnival, was born in Belmont, Trinidad.
Kenya Gains Independence
Kenya gained independence from British colonial rule under the leadership of Jomo Kenyatta.
Tanzania Gains Independence
Tanganyika (now Tanzania) gained independence from Britain under Julius Nyerere.
Senegal Gains Independence
Senegal gained independence from France under President Léopold Sédar Senghor.
Congo Gains Independence
The Democratic Republic of the Congo gained independence from Belgium.
Haile Selassie Born
Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia and revered figure in the Rastafari movement, was born in Ejersa Goro, Ethiopia.
Stacey Abrams Born
Stacey Abrams, voting rights activist and politician, was born in Madison, Wisconsin.
Diane Abbott Elected to Parliament
Diane Abbott became the first Black woman elected to the British Parliament.
Patricia Roberts Harris Becomes First Black Female Cabinet Member
Patricia Roberts Harris was appointed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, becoming the first African American woman in a U.S. presidential cabinet.
Aimé Césaire Born
Aimé Césaire, poet and politician who co-founded the Négritude literary movement, was born in Basse-Pointe, Martinique.
Condoleezza Rice Born
Condoleezza Rice, the first African American woman to serve as Secretary of State, was born in Birmingham, Alabama.
John Brown Born
John Brown, abolitionist who led the raid on Harpers Ferry, was born in Torrington, Connecticut.
Obama Delivers Keynote at DNC
Barack Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, launching him onto the national stage.
Michelle Obama Born
Michelle Obama, lawyer, author, and first African American First Lady of the United States, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
Marian Wright Edelman Born
Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund, was born in Bennettsville, South Carolina.
Eric Holder Becomes Attorney General
Eric Holder was sworn in as the first African American U.S. Attorney General.
Lloyd Austin Becomes Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin became the first African American Secretary of Defense.
First Pan-African Congress
W.E.B. Du Bois organized the First Pan-African Congress in Paris, advocating for the rights of Africans and people of African descent.
First National Negro Convention
The first National Negro Convention was held in Philadelphia, bringing together free Black leaders to discuss abolition and civil rights.
Robert F. Kennedy Assassinated
Robert F. Kennedy, who had become a champion of civil rights, was assassinated in Los Angeles.
Emmett Till Justice Act Signed
President Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, making lynching a federal hate crime.
Kwame Ture Dies
Kwame Ture (formerly Stokely Carmichael), who popularized the phrase "Black Power," died in Guinea at age 57.
Clarence Thomas Nominated to Supreme Court
President George H.W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to replace Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court.
Andrew Young Born
Andrew Young, civil rights leader, congressman, UN ambassador, and mayor of Atlanta, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Cornel West Born
Cornel West, philosopher, activist, and public intellectual, was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Calvin Coolidge Grants Citizenship to Native Americans
Nathaniel "Nat" Turner was born into slavery in Southampton County, Virginia.
J.K. Rowling Born
Whitney M. Young Jr., civil rights leader and executive director of the National Urban League, was born in Lincoln Ridge, Kentucky.
Winnie Mandela Born
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, anti-apartheid activist and former wife of Nelson Mandela, was born in Bizana, South Africa.
Bobby Seale Born
Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, was born in Dallas, Texas.
Eleanor Roosevelt Resigns from DAR
Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution after they refused to allow Marian Anderson to perform at Constitution Hall.
Stacey Abrams Founds Fair Fight
Stacey Abrams founded Fair Fight Action to address voter suppression after the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election.
Myrlie Evers-Williams Becomes NAACP Chair
Myrlie Evers-Williams was elected chairman of the NAACP board, helping revitalize the organization.
Eritrea Gains Independence
Eritrea formally gained independence from Ethiopia after a 30-year war.
Angola Gains Independence
Angola gained independence from Portugal after a 14-year liberation war.
Mozambique Gains Independence
Mozambique gained independence from Portugal after a decade-long liberation war.
Mary Frances Berry Born
Mary Frances Berry, civil rights activist, historian, and chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, was born in Nashville, Tennessee.
Audley Moore Born
Queen Mother Audley Moore, Pan-Africanist and reparations advocate, was born in New Iberia, Louisiana.
Dorothy Height Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
Dorothy Height received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Clinton.
H. Rap Brown Born
H. Rap Brown (later Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin), SNCC chairman and Black Power advocate, was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Lucy Parsons Born
Lucy Parsons, labor organizer and radical activist of African American, Mexican, and Native American descent, was born in Texas.
Trinidad and Tobago Independence
Trinidad and Tobago gained independence from Britain.
Botswana Gains Independence
Botswana gained independence from Britain under President Seretse Khama, whose interracial marriage had caused an international incident.
Andrew Brimmer Appointed to Federal Reserve
Andrew Brimmer became the first African American member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
Cori Bush Elected to Congress
Cori Bush, a Ferguson protest leader, was elected to Congress from Missouri's 1st District.
Claudine Gay Resigns as Harvard President
Claudine Gay resigned as president of Harvard University amid controversy, having served as the first Black president of the institution.