Black History Pages

On This Day in Black History: February 3

1488

Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Diaz became the first European to set foot on southern African soil, landing at Mossel Bay, Cape of Good Hope.

1870

The Fifteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving blacks the right to vote. It went into effect on March 30.

1904

Brigadier-General Frederick Lugard's West African Frontier Force captured Kano, a major city in the Sokoto caliphate. The fall of Kano foreshadowed the end of the Fulani empire in West Africa.

1956

Autherine Lucy became the first black person admitted to the University of Alabama as she enrolled as a graduate student in library science.

1960

British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan delivered his "Wind of Change" speech to Parliament in Capetown, South Africa. The speech derived its name from a portion of the text: "The wind of change is blowing through this [African] continent, and whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact. We must all accept it as a fact, and our national policies must take account of it."

1964

Approximately half of New York City's one million public school students boycotted, protesting de facto segregated schools.

1981

The Air Force Academy dropped its ban on enrollment of cadets, generally blacks, with sickle cell trait. The decision to drop the ban was made after it was acknowledged that the policy was not justified by available scientific facts.

1985

Desmond Tutu was installed as the first black Anglican archbishop of Johannesburg.

Today's Featured Page

Frederick McKinley Jones
Growing up as an orphan and not attending school beyond grade eight, Frederick McKinley Jones was ultimately to become one of the most prolific black inventors. More...

Previously Featured Pages

Elijah McCoy
Eventually, no heavy duty machinery was without Elijah McCoy's automatic oiling devices and the term the "real McCoy" became linked with his pioneering achievement. More...

Dr. Carter G. Woodson
In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson inaugurated Negro History Week. More...

Jackie Robinson
Graduating from UCLA, Jackie Robinson began to play baseball with the Kansas City Monarchs. When Branch Rickey decided to pioneer in hiring Black baseball players, he hired Robinson on October 23, 1945. More...

Granvillle T. Woods
During his lifetime, Granville T. Woods held over thirty-five patents. More than a dozen of these patents were inventions for electric railways but most of them were focused on electrical control and distribution. More...

The Emancipation Act
On August 1, 1834, the Emancipation Act came into force, after fifty years of bitter debate in Britain over the morality and profitability of slavery. It did not abolish servitude, but it was the first significant promise of freedom. More...

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


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	On This Day in Black History: February 3 1488 Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Diaz became the first European to set foot on southern African soil, landing at Mossel Bay, Cape of Good Hope. 1870 The Fifteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving blacks the right to vote. It went into effect on March 30. 1904 Brigadier-General Frederick Lugard's West African Frontier Force captured Kano, a major city in the Sokoto caliphate. The fall of Kano foreshadowed the end of the Fulani empire in West Africa. 1956 Autherine Lucy became the first black person admitted to the University of Alabama as she enrolled as a graduate student in library science. 1960 British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan delivered his "Wind of Change" speech to Parliament in Capetown, South Africa. The speech derived its name from a portion of the text: "The wind of change is blowing through this [African] continent, and whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact. We must all accept it as a fact, and our national policies must take account of it." 1964 Approximately half of New York City's one million public school students boycotted, protesting de facto segregated schools. 1981 The Air Force Academy dropped its ban on enrollment of cadets, generally blacks, with sickle cell trait. The decision to drop the ban was made after it was acknowledged that the policy was not justified by available scientific facts. 1985 Desmond Tutu was installed as the first black Anglican archbishop of Johannesburg. Today's Featured Page Frederick McKinley Jones Growing up as an orphan and not attending school beyond grade eight, Frederick McKinley Jones was ultimately to become one of the most prolific black inventors. More... Previously Featured Pages Elijah McCoy Eventually, no heavy duty machinery was without Elijah McCoy's automatic oiling devices and the term the "real McCoy" became linked with his pioneering achievement. More... Dr. Carter G. Woodson In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson inaugurated Negro History Week. More... Jackie Robinson Graduating from UCLA, Jackie Robinson began to play baseball with the Kansas City Monarchs. When Branch Rickey decided to pioneer in hiring Black baseball players, he hired Robinson on October 23, 1945. More... Granvillle T. Woods During his lifetime, Granville T. Woods held over thirty-five patents. More than a dozen of these patents were inventions for electric railways but most of them were focused on electrical control and distribution. More... The Emancipation Act On August 1, 1834, the Emancipation Act came into force, after fifty years of bitter debate in Britain over the morality and profitability of slavery. It did not abolish servitude, but it was the first significant promise of freedom. More... African-American Astronauts Guion S. Bluford became the first African-American to go into space in August 1983 aboard the Challenger. 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.