1619
The First Africans Brought to Americapre-1940s
1672
King Charles II of England charters the Royal African Companypre-1940s
1688
The 1688 Germantown Quaker Petitionpre-1940s
1711
NYC Opens Public Slave Market on Wall Streetpre-1940s
1738
Runaway Slaves Establish the First Free Black Settlement in Fort Mose, Floridapre-1940s
1752
Benjamin Banneker builds America's first clock almost entirely out of woodpre-1940s
1775
The Revolutionary Warpre-1940s
1780
The Free African Union Society Founded in Rhode Island by Free Black Peoplepre-1940s
1793
U.S. Inventor Eli Whitney Patents Cotton Ginpre-1940s
1831
Nat Turner’s Rebellion, a deadly slave uprising, takes place in Virginiapre-1940s
1837
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania established, America's first and oldest historically Black universitypre-1940s
1848
Harriet Tubman Gains Her Freedompre-1940s
1850
The Fugitive Slave Actpre-1940s
1854
Lincoln University Established in Pennsylvania, the first degree granting HBCUpre-1940s
1856
Wilberforce University established in Ohio, the first historically Black university owned and operated by Black peoplepre-1940s
1857
Dred Scott v Sanfordpre-1940s
1859
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferrypre-1940s
1860
Clotilda: The last known slave ship arrives in Alabamapre-1940s
1861
Civil War and Emancipationpre-1940s
1865
Juneteenthpre-1940s
1887
Eatonville, Florida Establishedpre-1940s
1896
Plessy v. Fergusonpre-1940s
1898
Wilmington Massacrepre-1940s
1905
Niagara Movement Foundedpre-1940s
1909
NAACP Foundedpre-1940s
1910
National Urban League Foundedpre-1940s
1914
Marcus Garvey founds the Universal Negro Improvement Associationpre-1940s
1920
Negro National Baseball League is founded to help end racial segregationpre-1940s
1920
The Harlem Renaissance or New Negro Movementpre-1940s
1921
The Tulsa Massacrepre-1940s
1921
Black Swan Recordspre-1940s
1922
The Dyer Anti-Lynching Billpre-1940s
1923
Marcus Garvey Goes to Prison for Mail Fraudpre-1940s
1926
Negro History Week Celebrated for the First Timepre-1940s
1927
Harlem Globetrotters play their first road game in Hinckley, Illinois against the Hinckley Merchants.pre-1940s
1930
Nation of Islam founded in Detroit, Michigan by Elijah Muhammad.pre-1940s
1931
The Scottsboro Boyspre-1940s
1932
The Tuskegee Experiment Beginspre-1940s
1935
National Council of Negro Women Founded by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethunepre-1940s
1941
Tuskegee Airmen1940s
1943
Detroit Race Riots1940s
1944
Smith v. Allwright1940s
1944
The United Negro College Fund Established1940s
1945
Ebony Magazine's First Issue1940s
1946
Morgan v. Virginia1940s
1946
King Cole Trio Time1940s
1947
Jackie Robinson Joins the Brooklyn Dodgers1940s
1948
The U.S. Army Integrates1940s
1948
Alice Coachman Wins Olympic Gold Medal1940s
1948
Sugar Hill Times1940s
1950
Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for her poetry book Annie Allen.1950s
1950
The NBA Integrates1950s
1951
Cicero Riots1950s
1953
Baton Rouge Bus Boycotts1950s
1954
Brown v. Board Of Education1950s
1955
The Lynching of Emmett Till1950s
1955
Claudette Colvin Refuses to Give Up Her Seat1950s
1955
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott1950s
1957
The Little Rock Nine1950s
1959
Motown Records1950s
1960
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Founded1960s
1961
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Freedom Rides1960s
1962
Ole Miss Integrates1960s
1963
Bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham1960s
1963
I Have a Dream' Speech by Martin Luther King Jr.1960s
1964
The Civil Rights Act of 19641960s
1964
The Freedom Summer Murders1960s
1964
Sidney Poitier Wins An Oscar1960s
1965
Selma to Montgomery March1960s
1965
Malcolm X Assassinated1960s
1965
The Voting Rights Act of 19651960s
1966
Founding of Black Panther Party1960s
1966
Black Panther makes his first appearance in Fantastic Four #52 published July 1, 1966.1960s
1966
First Kwanzaa Celebration is held1960s
1967
The Newark Riots 1960s
1968
The Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is passed.1960s
1968
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is Assassinated1960s
1968
Julia starring Diahann Carroll premieres1960s
1970
The Chicago Seven1970s
1970
Asbury Park Riots1970s
1971
Beverly Johnson, the first Black supermodel, appeared on the front of the March 1971 issue of Glamour Magazine1970s
1971
George Ellis Johnson's Johnson Products, home to Afro Sheen, becomes the first Black-owned company to be listed on a major U.S. stock exchange.1970s
1971
The Congressional Black Caucus is established in D.C.1970s
1972
New York Rep. Shirley Chisholm Runs for President1970s
1972
With a broken dominant hand, Wilt Chamberlain led the Los Angeles Lakers to NBA victory, became the oldest Finals MVP and first NBA Player to score more than 30,0000 points1970s
1973
Founding of National Black Feminist Organization1970s
1974
On April 9, 1974, Henry "Hank" Aaron breaks Babe Ruth's legendary baseball record with his 715th home run off the Dodgers Al Downing1970s
1977
Roots Airs on Television1970s
1977
Patricia Roberts Harris becomes U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development1970s
1977
Andrew Young is sworn in as the first Black American U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations1970s
1977
January 4, 1977 Black Lightning #1 was published featuring DC’s first Black superhero with his own series.1970s
1978
Bakke v California1970s
1978
Louis Farrakhan becomes the leader of a breakway branch of the Nation of Islam, after previously taking over Malcolm X's position as head minister.1970s
1979
The Greensboro Massacre1970s
1980
Miami Riots1980s
1980
Black Entertainment Television (BET) was founded January 25, 1980 by Robert L. Johnson1980s
1981
Dreamgirls opens on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre. 1980s
1981
Singer-songwriter-superstar Beyoncé is born.1980s
1982
Michael Jackson's album, Thriller, becomes the best selling album in music history selling over 70 million copies worldwide.1980s
1983
On September 17, 1983, Vanessa Williams becomes the first African American crowned Miss America.1980s
1983
Guy S. Bluford, Jr., The First African American to Go to Space1980s
1983
On NBC's Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, Michael Jackson first debuted his signature moonwalk while performing “Billie Jean” on May 16, 1983.1980s
1984
Rev. Jesse Jackson Makes A Bid for Democratic Nomination1980s
1985
Gwendolyn Brooks becomes the first Black woman named U.S. Poet Laureate in the Library of Congress.1980s
1985
Philadelphia's African American mayor, Wilson Goode, orders the bombing of MOVE, a local black nationalist organization.1980s
1986
The first national observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday.1980s
1986
The Oprah Winfrey Show1980s
1987
Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame1980s
1988
Temple University offers the first Ph.D. in African American Studies1980s
1989
The Central Park Five now known as the Exonerated Five1980s
1991
The Rodney King Beating1990s
1991
Crown Heights Riot1990s
1991
Daughters of the Dust by Juie Dash1990s
1992
Los Angeles Riots take place in response to the acquittal of the officers who brutally beat Rodney King.1990s
1993
Toni Morrison becomes the first black American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature1990s
1993
Living Single, a sitcom created by Yvette Lee Bowser premieres on Fox on August 22, 19931990s
1995
Million Man March1990s
1997
Million Woman March1990s
1997
Tiger Woods Wins the Masters Tournament1990s
1998
James Byrd Jr. Killed By White Supremacists1990s
1999
Serena Williams wins the U.S. Open at 17 years old, being the first Black woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1958.1990s
2001
Colin Powell Becomes First African-American Secretary of State Under President George W. Bush2000s
2002
Halle Berry makes history as the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress in Monster’s Ball. Denzel Washington also wins his second Oscar for Best Actor in Training Day.2000s
2005
Condoleezza Rice becomes the first African-American woman to serve as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush2000s
2005
The 2005 Toledo Riot2000s
2005
Hurricane Katrina2000s
2006
Soul Train Airs Its Last Episode After 35 Seasons2000s
2007
Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 and Meredith v. Jefferson County (Kentucky) Board of Education2000s
2008
Barack Obama Becomes 44th U.S. President2000s
2009
Shooting of Oscar Grant2000s
2010
Obamacare is passed2010s
2010
Dustin Byfuglien, the First African-American to Win the Stanley Cup2010s
2011
Oprah launches The Oprah Winfrey Network2010s
2012
Obama is re-elected for a second term as U.S. President2010s
2012
Trayvon Martin & Stand Your Ground2010s
2012
Gaby Douglas Makes Olympic History2010s
2013
Black Lives Matter Founded2010s
2013
Kimani Gray and the Flatbush Riots2010s
2013
Gymnast Simone Biles becomes first African American world all-around champion.2010s
2014
Michael Brown & Ferguson Protests2010s
2014
The Flint Water crisis begins in predominantly Black city of Flint, Michigan.2010s
2014
Ava Duvernay is the first African American to be nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globe Awards for Selma2010s
2015
The Charleston Church Shooting2010s
2015
Freddie Gray & Baltimore Protests2010s
2015
Sandra Bland & #SayHerName2010s
2015
Loretta Lynch sworn in as first African American woman Attorney General of the United States2010s
2015
Misty Copeland becomes the first African American woman principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre in June 20152010s
2016
The National Museum of African American History and Culture Opens in D.C.2010s
2016
Colin Kaepernick Kneels2010s
2016
Philando Castile & Outrage Against the NRA2010s
2017
Amanda Gorman is named the first ever National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States.2010s
2017
Moonlight wins Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards.2010s
2017
Get Out2010s
2018
Black Panther2010s
2019
The New York Times Magazine publishes Nikole Hannah-Jones' 1619 Project, reexamining America's history by placing the ripple effects of slavery at the forefront.2010s
2020
George Floyd & the Summer of Unrest2020s
2020
Breonna Taylor & the Call to End No Knock Warrants2020s
2020
Jacob Blake & the Kenosha Riots2020s
2020
Ahmaud Arbery Lynching2020s
2021
<a href="https://www.theroot.com/its-joe-biden-vp-kamala-harris-fires-back-at-notion-1848246311">Kamala Harris Becomes the First Woman and First Black US Vice President</a>2020s
2021
Daunte Wright Protests2020s
2021
Juneteenth becomes federal holiday under U.S. President Joe Biden.2020s
2022
Brittney Griner imprisoned in Russia and released
2022
Roe v. Wade Overturned
2022
Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in
2023
Beyoncé makes history with most Grammy Awards
2023
50th Anniversary of Hip Hop
2023
16-year-old Ralph Yarl shot
2024
Dr. Claudine Gay resigns from Harvard

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