On this day in African-American History...
1865 - Outlawing slavery, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
1906 - Blues singer Roosevelt Sykes was born in Elmar, AR.
1914 - World heavyweight champion boxer Jersey Joe Walcott (birthname: Arnold Raymond Cream) was born in Merchantville, NJ.
1919 - Baseball player, business executive and civil rights leader Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, GA. His full name was Jack Roosevelt Robinson.
1920 - Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, founded in 1914 at Howard University, was incorporated on this day.
1921 - Actress Carol Channing was born in Seattle, WA.
1925 - Activist, lawyer and minister Benjamin L. Hooks was born in Memphis, TN.
1931 - Baseball player and coach Ernie Banks was born in Dallas, TX.
1934 - Singer Etta Moten was the first African-American actress to perform at the White House. She sang for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife.
1962 - Lt. Comdr. Samuel L. Gravely became the first African-American to command a U.S. warship. He commanded the U.S.S. Falgout, a Navy destroyer escort.
Sources for this information: African-American Registry | Biography.com | BlackFacts.com |Black History Pages | IMDiversity.com | Munirah Chronicle | Natural Agricultural Library | Today in Black History | University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center | Yenoba.com
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