1793: The city of Philadelphia experienced the first of an estimated 5,000 deaths from a yellow fever epidemic.

1920: James Baldwin, writer, born NY 1924 Marcus Garvey presented his 'Back to Africa' program in New York City.

1986: Blacks comprised 6.2 percent of the 4,023 full-time career U.S. State Department employees.

1931: Died Dr Daniel H. Williams, pioneer in surgery

1992: The Confederate flag continued to fly atop capitol building in Montgomery, AL, in spite of complaints.

1948-2004: Rick James died from a heart attack

1904-1971: Birth date of Ralph J. Bunche, diplomat and winner of Nobel Peace Prize

1977: Martin Dihigo, John Henry Lloyd, and Ernie Banks, of the Negro League, were inducted into the baseball league were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1866: Men of the 10th Regiment U.S. Calvary were recruited from the St. Louis, Missouri, area.

1867: Ira Aldridge, famed Shakespearean actor, dies.

1965: This was the first day of the so-called Watts Riot.

1974: James (Cool Papa) Bell, a star baseball player, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1892: First issue of Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper.

1936: Rainey Bethel was the last person publicly executed in the United States for murdering an elderly white woman (KY).

1843: National black convention meets (Buffalo New York)

1987: Black scholar historian, and former President of Central State College Charles Wesley died.

1897: WB Purvis patented the electric railway switch; 1887-1940: Birth date of Marcus Garvey, black nationalist

1927: Rosalyn Carter born (First lady: Married to Jimmy Carter).

1791: Benjamin Banneker published his first Almanac.

1619: The first ship carrying 20 black indentured servants from England.

1831: Nat Turner, a slave, led the South Hampton (Virginia) Insurrection.

1989: Black Panther Part co-founder Huey P. Newton was gunned down.

1796: The African Methodist Episcopal church was incorporated.

1924: Birth date of novelist James Baldwin.

1979-2001: Aaliyah (R&B female singer) died in a airplane crash

1920: The 19th Constitutional Amendment which gave women the right to vote was ratified.

1963: Orator, scholar, and writer William Edward Burghardt Dubois died.

1963: Dr Martin Luther King Jr., delivered the 'I Have a Dream' speech.

Sheridan Broadcasting Corp purchases Mutual Black Network making it the first radio.

1901-1981: Birth date of Roy Wilkins, 2nd Executive Director of NAACP