(Photo By Flickr User Alan Light)
Black History Today for February 13th:
2010- The 2000 National Book Award-winning poet and 1988 Pulitzer finalist, Lucille Clifton, and former poet laureate of Maryland passed away on this day in Baltimore, MD at age 73.
2005- The 47th Grammy Awards were dedicated in the memory of Ray Charles. He posthumously won five Grammy Awards while his album, "Genius Loves Company," won a total of eight.
1999- "Angel of Mine" by Monica, was the Number 1 song on this day.
1989- Oklahoma football player Charles Thompson was charged with selling cocaine on this day and was later sentenced to 2 years in prison.
1988- The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, purchased a Santa Ynez, CA ranch on this day. He later named it Neverland (and it housed an amusement park, a full size movie theater, and a zoo).
1984- Donna Summer’s remake of the Drifters’ 1960 hit "There Goes My Baby," charted on both the R&B and Pop charts on this day.
1983- Marvin Gaye sang the National Anthem on this day at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, CA.
1980- "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson, topped the charts on this day.
1978- “Al Green Day” was declared in Los Angeles, CA on this day as he performed at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Most artist given a day in their honor is usually bestowed on them by their hometown. Al was born in Forest City, AR, apparently, Los Angeles decided to adopt him.
1974- Baseball legend James “Cool Papa” Bell, was inducted into the baseball’s Hall of Fame on this day. By all accounts, he was the fastest human being to ever live. His quickness is legendary and he’s considered one of the best defensive center fielders of all time. He passed away in 1991.
1973- Gertrude E. Downing & William Desjardin, patents corner cleaner attachment on this day.
1970- Joseph L. Searles, III became the first African-American floor member and broker to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on this day.
1965- Junior Walker & the All-Stars charted with "Shotgun" which would eventually reach #1. While playing a benefit, Junior notices some teenagers doing a new dance called "the shotgun" and that night his his motel room wrote the song to match the dance.
1957- Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) organized at New Orleans, LA meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr. as president.
1945- Singer-songwriter King Floyd was born on this day in New Orleans, LA. His song "Groove Me" topped the charts and sold over one million copies. He received a gold disc awarded by the Record Industry Association Of America (RIAA) in December of 1970. He passed away in 2006.
1940- “Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues” was recorded by Earl “Fatha” Hines and his orchestra on this day. The song eventually becomes a classic and is still popular among big band fans today. He is recognized as one of jazz’s greatest pianists.
1923- The first Black professional basketball team "The Renaissance" organized.
1907- Editor Wendell P. Dabney establishes The Union. The Cincinnati, OH paper's motto is "For no people can become great without being united, for in union there is strength."
1892- The first African-American performers, The World's Fair Colored Opera Company, appear at Carnegie Hall in New York City, NY.
1882- Death of Henry Highland Garnet (66), diplomat and protest leader, in Monrovia, Liberia.
1818- Absalom Jones, the first African American Episcopal priest ordained in the U.S. , died on this day.
1635- America's first public school, the Boston Latin School, opened in Boston, MA. Black students were excluded from attending.
