Black History Pages

On This Day in Black History: January 28

1624

The first British colony in the Caribbean was founded on St. Kitts by Sir Thomas Warner.

1926

The Harlem Globetrotters was founded by Abe Saperstein in Chicago, Illinois.

1944

Matthew Henson got formal recognition for accompanying Robert Peary to the North Pole when Congress authorized a medal honouring the Peary expedition. Congress awarded Henson one of the joint medals for the discovery of the North Pole.

1963

Harvey Gantt was the first African-American student admitted to Clemson University in South Carolina, the last state to resist integration.

1970

Arthur Ashe was denied a visa to enter South Africa because of his outspoken views on apartheid.

1986

The U.S. space shuttle Challenger exploded 74 seconds after lift-off from Cape Canaveral. African-American astronaut Ronald McNair was among the seven crew members who were killed.

1991

Mohamed Siad Barre, head of state of Somalia and one of Africa's most brutal dictators, fled into exile with a brief stop in Kenya, eventually settling in Nigeria.

1997

In South Africa, five apartheid-era police officers, appearing before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, admitted to the 1977 killing of Stephen Bantu Biko.

2002

Doctors Without Borders defied South African patent law, importing an inexpensive generic AIDS drug from Brazil.

Today's Featured Page

African-American Astronauts
Guion S. Bluford became the first African-American to go into space in August 1983 aboard the Challenger. More...

Previously Featured Pages

Ernest Everett Just
Ernest E. Just was a "scientist's scientist". Dr. Charles Drew, a pioneer in blood plasma research himself, described Dr. Just as "a biologist of unusual skill and the greatest of our original thinkers in the field". More...

Bessie Coleman
Bessie Coleman became the first black woman ever to fly an airplane and the first African American to earn an international pilot's license. More...

The Dogon of Mali
For centuries, the Dogon of Mali have had an excellent understanding of the solar system, particularly the Sirius star system. More...

Cowrie Shells
Cowrie shells were the most popular currency within Africa. Pictures of cowrie shells adorned cave walls. The Egyptians considered them to be magical agents and also used them as currency in foreign exchange transactions. Archaeologists have excavated millions of them in the tombs of the Pharaohs. More...

Dr. Charles Drew
In 1940, Charles Drew earned his Doctor of Medical Science Degree, and his dissertation was on the concept of "banked blood"—storing blood as plasma to increase storage life. More...

Dr. Christine M. Darden
Dr. Christine M. Darden has been one of the leading aerospace engineers at NASA's Langley Research Center. More...


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	On This Day in Black History: January 28 1624 The first British colony in the Caribbean was founded on St. Kitts by Sir Thomas Warner. 1926 The Harlem Globetrotters was founded by Abe Saperstein in Chicago, Illinois. 1944 Matthew Henson got formal recognition for accompanying Robert Peary to the North Pole when Congress authorized a medal honouring the Peary expedition. Congress awarded Henson one of the joint medals for the discovery of the North Pole. 1963 Harvey Gantt was the first African-American student admitted to Clemson University in South Carolina, the last state to resist integration. 1970 Arthur Ashe was denied a visa to enter South Africa because of his outspoken views on apartheid. 1986 The U.S. space shuttle Challenger exploded 74 seconds after lift-off from Cape Canaveral. African-American astronaut Ronald McNair was among the seven crew members who were killed. 1991 Mohamed Siad Barre, head of state of Somalia and one of Africa's most brutal dictators, fled into exile with a brief stop in Kenya, eventually settling in Nigeria. 1997 In South Africa, five apartheid-era police officers, appearing before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, admitted to the 1977 killing of Stephen Bantu Biko. 2002 Doctors Without Borders defied South African patent law, importing an inexpensive generic AIDS drug from Brazil. Today's Featured Page African-American Astronauts Guion S. Bluford became the first African-American to go into space in August 1983 aboard the Challenger. More... Previously Featured Pages Ernest Everett Just Ernest E. Just was a "scientist's scientist". Dr. Charles Drew, a pioneer in blood plasma research himself, described Dr. Just as "a biologist of unusual skill and the greatest of our original thinkers in the field". More... Bessie Coleman Bessie Coleman became the first black woman ever to fly an airplane and the first African American to earn an international pilot's license. More... The Dogon of Mali For centuries, the Dogon of Mali have had an excellent understanding of the solar system, particularly the Sirius star system. More... Cowrie Shells Cowrie shells were the most popular currency within Africa. Pictures of cowrie shells adorned cave walls. The Egyptians considered them to be magical agents and also used them as currency in foreign exchange transactions. Archaeologists have excavated millions of them in the tombs of the Pharaohs. More... Dr. Charles Drew In 1940, Charles Drew earned his Doctor of Medical Science Degree, and his dissertation was on the concept of "banked blood"—storing blood as plasma to increase storage life. More... Dr. Christine M. Darden Dr. Christine M. Darden has been one of the leading aerospace engineers at NASA's Langley Research Center. More... <MAP NAME="boxmap-p13"><AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="379, 50, 460, 57" HREF="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" ><AREA COORDS="0,0,10000,10000" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/emrblhist-20" ></MAP><img src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/rcm/468x60.gif" width="468" height="60" border="0" usemap="#boxmap-p13" alt="Shop at Amazon.com"> Copyright © 1996-2008 5x5 Media and African Images. All rights reserved.