July 17
John Lewis Dies
On July 17, 2020, John Lewis died of pancreatic cancer. As a young man, he was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders and, at 23, was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington. He served in Congress for 33 years, representing Atlanta, and was known as the "conscience of Congress."
Eric Garner Killed
On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner was placed in a prohibited chokehold by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo during an arrest for selling loose cigarettes. Garner's repeated words "I can't breathe," captured on video, became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement and calls for police reform.
John Lewis Dies
On July 17, 2020, John Lewis died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. In his final essay, published the day of his funeral, he wrote: "When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something." Three former presidents attended his funeral.
Port Chicago Disaster
On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California killed 320 men, most of them Black enlisted sailors forced to load ammunition without proper training. When 258 Black sailors refused to return to the dangerous work, 50 were court-martialed for mutiny. The incident helped desegregate the Navy.
Death of John Lewis
Civil rights leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis passed away.