Black - African American History Facts

Antoine Dubuclet of Louisiana was elected as the first black State Treasurer on this date in 1868.

Ebenezer Don Carlos Bassett became the first black diplomat when he was named Consul-General to Haiti by President Grant on this date in 1869.

C. J. Dorticus, inventor, patented the Photo Embossing Machine on this date in 1895. Patent # 537,442.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. in New York City on this date in 1947. Jabbar was a star player for UCLA and became the NBA's lifetime leading scorer. He also led the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA titles.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Baptist Minister and civil rights activist, wrote the Letter from the Birmingham Jail on this date in 1963. At the time, he was in jail for demonstrating.

Assistant Deputy Chief of staff of the US Air Force, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr., was named Lieutenant General on this date in 1965. This was the highest rank attained by a black to date in the armed services.

Lelia Smith Foley became the first black female Mayor in the US on this date in 1973. She was Mayor of Taft, OK a town with around 500 people.

August Wilson was awarded the "Pulitzer Prize" for his play Fences on this date in 1987.

Ralph Ellison, author of The Invisible Man, died on this date in 1994.