Zinn Education Project

Feb. 4, 1899: War of Philippine Independence

When the United States refused to recognize Philippine independence, Philippine Republic president Emilio Aguinaldo declared war.

Feb. 3, 1964: New York City School Children Boycott School

More than 450,000 New York City school children boycotted school as part of a protest for quality schools for Black and Latino students.

The Fifteenth Amendment and its results poster | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Feb. 3, 1870: 15th Amendment Ratified

The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution officially granted African American men the right to vote.

Feb. 3, 1868: First Freedmen’s Bureau Teacher Appointed in Lafayette Parish

Walter H. Williams was the first Black teacher appointed to a Freedmen's Bureau School in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana during Reconstruction.

Feb. 2, 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, ending the U.S. Mexico War and extending the boundaries of the United States west to the Pacific Ocean.

Feb. 2, 1512: Taíno Leader Hatuey Executed in Cuba

Hatuey was a freedom fighter in the early 1500s who mobilized Caribbean islanders against invasion, theft, and murder by European conquistadors.

Feb. 1, 1960: The Greensboro Sit-in Begins

Four African-American North Carolina A&T University students, began a sit-in protest at a Woolworth's whites-only lunch counter.

Jan. 31, 1964: WWII Veteran Louis Allen Murdered

Louis Allen, a WWII veteran who witnessed and was willing to testify about the murder of a voting rights worker in Mississippi, was murdered.

Jan. 31, 1938: Emma Tenayuca Leads Pecan Sheller Strike

Tenayuca was known as “La Pasionaria de Texas” for her commitment to justice for Mexican American laborers.

Jan. 30, 1884: Couple Reunited During Reconstruction

During the Reconstruction Era, people emancipated from slavery searched for their loved ones throughout the United States and Canada. They often used "last seen" ads. This is one case of successful reunification.

Jan. 30, 1868: Speech in Defense of 14th Amendment

U.S. Senator Cragin spoke against delaying the expansion of suffrage. He countered the statements by white Democrats, saying the real reason they were opposed to Black suffrage was because they could not control the votes.

Jan. 29, 1834: Federal Troops Suppress Labor Protest

President Andrew Jackson used federal troops to suppress worker organizing.

Newspaper headline reading "32 Killed in Crash of Charter Plane"

Jan. 28, 1948: Plane Wreck at Los Gatos

A plane crash near Coalinga, California, causing the death of 28 Mexican laborers and others, led to a popular song and belated recognition.

Jan. 28, 1918: Porvenir Massacre

Fifteen Mexican-Americans were killed by Texas Rangers during the Porvenir Massacre.

Jan. 28, 1917: The Bath Riots

A protest of the toxic chemical "baths" required for all workers coming across the U.S.-Mexico border, led by 17-year-old Carmelita Torres.

Jan. 27, 2014: Pete Seeger Died

Pete Seeger died (May 3, 1919 – Jan. 27, 2014).

Crosswhite (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 27, 1847: Crosswhites Escaped to Canada

Several hundred citizens of Marshall, Michigan, helped Adam and Sarah Crosswhite escape slavery and kidnapping and flee to Canada.

Jan. 26, 1944: Angela Davis Born

Angela Davis, born on Jan. 26, 1944, is a civil rights activist, writer, professor, and a founding member Critical Resistance, a national organization dedicated to the dismantling of the prison industrial complex.

54th Massachusetts (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 26, 1863: Black Troops Recruited for the Union Army

The U.S. War Department authorized the governor of Massachusetts to recruit Black troops to the Union Army in the Civil War.

Jan. 25, 1972: Shirley Chisholm Began Historic Campaign for President

Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, opened her historic campaign for President.

A. Philip Randolph (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 25, 1941: A. Philip Randolph and March on Washington

A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union, made the official call for a march on Washington, with the demand to end segregation in defense industries.

Jan. 24, 1874: Arturo Alfonso Schomburg Born

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, bibliophile, collector, writer, who spent his life championing Black history.

Jan. 23, 1964: 24th Amendment on Poll Tax Ratified

The 24th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified.

Jan. 23, 1963: Patricia Stephens Due Arrested in Florida

Police arrested Patricia Stephens Due in the segregated lobby of the Florida Theater in Tallahassee.

Jan. 23, 1957: Klan Forces Man to Jump from Bridge

Mr. Willie Edwards Jr., a 24-year-old African American man, was murdered by members of the Alabama KKK.

Jan. 23, 1935: Robert Parris Moses Born

Lifelong organizer in SNCC and with the Algebra Project, Robert Parris Moses, was born on January 23, 1935, in Harlem, New York.

Jan. 22, 1964: Freedom Day in Hattiesburg

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) voting rights campaign held a Freedom Day in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Jan. 22, 1932: La Matanza (“The Massacre”) Begins in El Salvador

The government of El Salvador launched a murderous, anti-indigenous and anti-leftist campaign that led to the deaths of 30,000 Salvadorans.

National Memorial for Peace and Justice (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 22, 1912: Hamilton, Georgia Lynching

Four African Americans (including one minister and three farmers; one of the farmers was a woman) were lynched in Hamilton, Georgia.

The North Star (News Clipping) | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 21, 1848: North Star Publishes Editorial on War with Mexico

The North Star published an editorial against the U.S. war with Mexico. Listen to an excerpt read by Benjamin Bratt.

Hiram Rhodes Revels (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 20, 1870: Hiram Rhodes Revels Elected to U.S. Senate During Reconstruction

Hiram Rhodes Revels was the first African American to be elected to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Julian Bond 1967 | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 19, 1966: Georgia State House Refused to Seat Julian Bond

The Georgia State House of Representatives refused to seat elected state representative Julian Bond due to his public statements against the Vietnam War.

Eartha Kitt at White House (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 18, 1968: Eartha Kitt Spoke Truth at the White House

When asked at a White House luncheon about "juvenile delinquency," Eartha Kitt responded by talking about the root causes of rebellion, including the Vietnam War and the draft.

Jan. 18, 1943: Jewish Resistance in Warsaw Ghetto

Jews in the Warsaw ghetto organized armed self-defense units to oppose deportations to forced-labor camps and to the Treblinka extermination camp.

Lumumba at the 1960 Round Table conference | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Jan. 17, 1961: Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba was Executed

Prime minister of the Republic of the Congo, Patrice Lumumba, was executed with the assistance of the governments of Belgium and the United States.

Jan. 17, 1893: Queen Lili`uokalani of Hawai`i is Overthrown

Queen Lili`uokalani of the independent kingdom of Hawai`i was overthrown as she was arrested at gunpoint by U.S. Marines.

Special Field Order No. 15 | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 16, 1865: Special Field Order No. 15

Demands by Black ministers after the Ebenezer Creek Massacre led to the short-lived land distribution during Reconstruction known as Special Field Order No. 15.

Jan. 15, 1817: The Vote on Colonization of Free Blacks in West Africa

Nearly 3,000 African American men met at the Bethel A.M.E. Church and denounced the American Colonization Society’s proposal to resettle free African Americans in West Africa.

Radical members of the first South Carolina legislature after the war.

Jan. 14, 1868: South Carolina Constitutional Convention

The South Carolina constitutional convention met with a majority of Black delegates, adopting a constitution that provided for all people regardless of race, economic class, or gender.

The NYC Tompkins Square Riot (art) | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 13, 1874: The New York City Tompkins Square Riot

The New York City Tompkins Square Riot occurred during a devastating economic depression.

Jan. 13, 1777: Petition for Freedom in Massachusetts

A group of African Americans presented a petition for freedom to the Massachusetts Council and the House of Representatives.

Jan. 12, 2010: Earthquake in Haiti

Haiti was hit with a devastating earthquake that took the lives of thousands and displaced even more‪.

Jan. 11, 1912: The Bread and Roses Strike Started

The Bread and Roses Strike began in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Jan. 10, 1966: Voting Rights Activist Vernon Dahmer Murdered

Vernon Dahmer was killed when the Ku Klux Klan fired bombed his home. This was one day after Dahmer offered to pay the election poll tax for anyone who could not afford it.

Jan. 10, 1854: Woman Jailed for Teaching Free Black Children to Read

A judge in Norfolk, Virginia, sentenced a white woman, Margaret Douglass, to one month in jail for teaching free Black children to read.

Julian Bond in Mississippi, 1963 | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Jan. 9, 1967: Julian Bond Sworn in Georgia House of Representatives

Julian Bond was finally sworn in as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives.

Proceedings of the Convention of Colored People Held in Dover, Jan. 9, 1873.

Jan. 9. 1873: Convention of African Americans Discuss Education

During Reconstruction, Delaware’s Convention of Colored People gathered in Dover to discuss and demand state provisions to educate their children.

Jan. 9, 1864: Sgt. William Walker Found Guilty of Mutiny

Sgt. Walker was convicted of mutiny and killed, one of nineteen Union soldiers executed by the Union army for mutiny during the Civil War, fourteen of whom were Black.

Jan. 8, 1811: Louisiana’s Heroic Slave Revolt

The German Coast Uprising was a strategic military assault against white supremacy by hundreds of enslaved Africans.

Zora Neale Hurston | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Jan. 7, 1891: Zora Neale Hurston Born

Zora Neale Hurston, an folklorist, anthropologist, and author, was born in Alabama.

Jan. 7, 1868: Mississippi Constitutional Convention

The Mississippi Constitution was one of the first pieces of legislation that provided a uniform system of free public education for children regardless of race.

Jan. 6, 2021: Attempted Coup in the United States

There was an attack on the U.S. Capitol by an armed white supremacist mob, determined to block the democratic process.

Jan. 6, 1874: Robert B. Elliott Spoke of Need for Civil Rights Act

Rep. Robert B. Elliott gave speech to advocate for Civil Rights Act which passed a year later.

Remember Your Weekly Pledge, collection box for Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. Circa 1850.

Jan. 6, 1832: New England Anti-Slavery Society Founded

The New England Anti-Slavery Society was founded at the African Meeting House in Boston.

Jan. 6, 1811: Charles Sumner is Born

Born in Massachusetts on January 6, 1811, Charles Sumner was outspoken against slavery, for full recognition of Haiti, against the U.S.-Mexico War, for true reconstruction with land distribution, against school segregation, and much more.

Jan. 5, 2021: Grassroots Organizing Shifts Balance of Power in Senate

In 2021, two new Democratic lawmakers from Georgia were elected to the U.S. Senate, one of whom is only the 11th African American senator in U.S. history.

Jan. 5, 1997: Guam Commission on Decolonization

Guam established a Commission on Decolonization.

Jan. 5, 1980: Rapper’s Delight

The song “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang (and reportedly Grandmaster Caz) became the first hip hop single ever to reach the Billboard Top 40.

Jan. 5, 1931: Lemon Grove Incident

Mexican-American students were barred from attending their local elementary school. The parents took the school district to court.

Jan. 4, 1965: Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party Challenges Congress

Hundreds of Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party supporters went to support the Challenge to the seating of the Mississippi delegation.

Jan. 4, 1874: Adelbert Ames Becomes Governor of Mississippi

Adelbert Ames become the elected governor of Mississippi during the Reconstruction era.

Jan. 3, 1966: Sammy Younge Jr. Murdered

Samuel Younge Jr., Navy vet, Tuskegee student, activist was killed in Alabama for using “whites-only” bathroom. SNCC issued a powerful statement about his murder and in opposition to the Vietnam War.

Jan. 2, 1962: NBC Bans Weavers for Refusal to Sign Loyalty Oath

The Weavers had their scheduled appearance on the NBC Jack Paar Show cancelled when they refused to sign an oath of political loyalty.

Jan. 2, 1915: John Hope Franklin Born

John Hope Franklin, born this day in Rentiesville and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was one of most important historians of the 20th century.

Jan. 1, 2009: Oscar Grant Killed

Oscar Grant was fatally shot by BART Police in Oakland.

Jan. 1, 1960: Greenville Airport Protest

South Carolina NAACP held Greenville Airport Protest in support of Jackie Robinson.

Jan. 1, 1923: Rosewood Massacre

White supremacists destroyed the Black town of Rosewood, Florida, and murdered many of its residents. Descendants have fought for reparations and recognition of the history.

Jan. 1, 1915: John Henrik Clarke Born in Alabama

The teacher, scholar, and Pan-Africanist intellectual leader was born in Alabama.

Jan. 1, 1863: Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation took effect in 1863. Who did it "emancipate"? And who gets credited?

Jan. 1, 1863: Tunis Campbell Commissioned for Port Royal

Tunis Campbell, who assisted in the Port Royal Experiment to assist freed people during Reconstruction, was an abolitionist, state senator, and justice of the peace.

Jan. 1, 1804: Haitian Independence

Haiti became a free republic after a revolution, declaring independence for ALL people.

Dec. 31, 1972: Roberto Clemente Dies

Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash while traveling at great risk in response to urgent requests to deliver help to earthquake devastated Nicaragua.

Dec 31, 1862: Watch Meetings for Emancipation Proclamation

African Americans across the United States, free and enslaved, in the North and South, held watch meetings.

Dec. 30, 1971: Daniel Ellsberg and Anthony Russo Jr. Indicted for Releasing the Pentagon Papers

Daniel Ellsberg and Anthony J. "Tony" Russo Jr. were indicted for releasing the Pentagon Papers.

Dec. 30, 1936: First Sit-Down Strike Begins in Flint

The Flint sit-down strike represented a shift in union organizing strategies from craft unionism (organizing white male skilled workers) to industrial unionism (organizing all the workers in an industry). The sit-down strike changed the balance of power between employers and workers.

Charles Spurgeon Rucks | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 29, 1923: Terror Attack on African Americans in Catcher, Arkansas

The Catcher "Race Riot" began, leading to the creation of another sundown town.

Dec. 29, 1890: Anniversary of the Wounded Knee Massacre (This Day in History) - “We Remember” poster by Bruce Carter | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Dec. 29, 1890: Wounded Knee Massacre

A Lakota encampment on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation was attacked by the U.S. Army and close to 300 Native Americans were murdered near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota.

Dec. 28, 1960: Black Farmers in Tennessee Evicted for Registering to Vote

Black sharecroppers were evicted by white landowners simply for exercising their right to register to vote.

Dec. 28, 1872: Skeleton Cave Massacre

The Yavapai people's shelter of Skeleton Cave in Arizona was attacked by the U.S. Army, trying to force them to reservations.

Dec. 27, 1937: Harriet Elizabeth Brown Case Settled

Harriet Elizabeth Brown, a teacher from Maryland, sued for equal pay for Black teachers and won the case.

Dec. 26, 1907: New York City Rent Strike

Months of organizing work by 16-year-old Pauline Newman culminated in the start of the largest rent strike in New York City's history.

Indians at Mankato; they were found guilty for their actions during the Dakota Conflict. Public execution of 38 Dakota Illustration by W. H. Childs, 12/26/1862. Courtesy to Pioneer Press: Minnesota Historical Society

Dec. 26, 1862: Mass Execution of Dakota Indians

The mass execution of 38 Dakota Indians was ordered by President Abraham Lincoln.

Dec. 25, 1951: Murder of Harriette and Harry Moore in Florida

The Ku Klux Klan bombed the home of labor and voting rights activists Harry T. Moore and Harriette Moore — killing them both. Harriette Moore taught elementary school, secretly teaching her students Black history in the face of bans by the state Superintendent.

Dec. 25, 1837: Seminole Anticolonial Struggle

Africans and Native Americans formed Florida’s Seminole Nation and defeated a heavily armed U.S. invading army.

Dec. 1961: Christmas Shopping Boycott

Aaron Henry (Mississippi state NAACP president, pharmacist, drugstore owner) and the Coahoma County NAACP organized an effective Christmas shopping boycott in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Dec. 24, 1913: Calumet Italian Hall Disaster

The Italian Hall disaster killed 73 people, 59 of them children, from families of striking copper miners.

Mississippi Ku Klux Klan | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Dec. 24, 1865: Ku Klux Klan Founded

The Ku Klux Klan was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee.

Dec. 23, 1944: The Case of Eddie Slovik

Gen. Dwight Eisenhower endorsed the finding of a court-martial in the case of Eddie Slovik.

Dec. 23, 1815: Henry Highland Garnet Born

Henry Highland Garnet, abolitionist and minister, called for a militant slave revolt.

Dec. 22, 1997: Acteal Massacre

Adults and children, members of the organization Las Abejas (The Bees), were massacred while praying in a church in Chiapas, Mexico.

Dec. 22, 1969: Radio Free Alcatraz

Radio Free Alcatraz broadcasts for the first time.

Dec. 1850: Harriet Tubman Engineered First Rescue Mission

Abolitionist and suffragist Harriet Tubman, perhaps the most famous conductor for the Underground Railroad, engineered her first rescue mission in Dec. 1850.

Dec. 20, 1990: Dr. Yolanda Huet-Vaughn Refused Service in First Gulf War

Kansas reservist Dr Yolanda Huet-Vaughn refused orders to serve in the first Gulf War (Desert Storm).

Operation Just Cause | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 20, 1989: Invasion of Panama

The United States invaded Panama in "Operation Just Cause."

Montgomery Boycott Ends | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 20, 1956: Montgomery Bus Boycott Prevails

After a 381-day boycott, a federal ruling declaring the Alabama laws requiring segregated buses to be unconstitutional.

Tim DeChristopher | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 19, 2008: Tim DeChristopher Protests Bureau of Land Management

Tim DeChristopher of Peaceful Uprising protested a Bureau of Land Management auction of public land in Utah's redrock country.

Hanoi's Hospital | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 18, 1972: Christmas Bombing of Vietnam

Richard Nixon initiated a massive "carpet bombing" campaign in Northern Vietnam, mainly Hanoi.

Dec. 18, 1944: U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against Fred Korematsu; Declares Denial of Civil Liberties Legal

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Korematsu v. United States that the denial of civil liberties based on race and national origin was legal.

Thirteenth Amendment | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 18, 1865: Ratification of 13th Amendment

Secretary of State William H. Seward declared the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution to have been adopted.

Dec. 17, 1951: “We Charge Genocide” Petition Submitted to United Nations

Paul Robeson and William Patterson submitted a petition from the Civil Rights Congress (CRC) to the United Nations, signed by almost 100 U.S. intellectuals and activists.

Dec. 16, 1965: Students Suspended for Anti-War Armbands

A group of students wore black armbands to school to protest the war in Vietnam. The school board got wind of the protest and passed a preemptive ban.

Dec. 15, 1992: “Civil War” in El Salvador Ended

The "civil war" in El Salvador officially ended, but other struggles followed, including to protect the land and water from gold mining.

Dec. 15, 1791: Bill of Rights Ratified

The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known as the United States Bill of Rights, were ratified.

Wilma Mankiller | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 14, 1985: Wilma Mankiller Becomes Chief of Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma

Wilma Mankiller took office as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

Dec. 14, 1917: Kate O’Hare Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

U.S. peace activist and suffragist Kate O'Hare was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for a speech denouncing WWI.

Dec. 13, 1903: Civil Rights and Human Rights Activist Ella Baker Born

Ella Baker was a civil rights and human rights activist beginning in the 1930s whose career spanned more than five decades.

Dec. 13, 1872: Reconstruction Era Convening to Demand End to Slavery in Cuba

A meeting was held in New York of abolitionists to address the injustice of continued slavery in Cuba.

Dec. 12, 1870: Joseph H. Rainey First African-American in U.S. House of Reps

Joseph H. Rainey, from South Carolina, was the first African-American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Memorial of massacre site at El Mozote, Morazan, El Salvador | The Zinn Education Project

Dec. 11, 1981: El Mozote Massacre in El Salvador

More than 800 civilians were massacred by the U.S.-backed Salvadoran Army in El Mozote.

Dec. 11, 1917: Black Soldiers Executed for Houston Riot

"The primary cause of the Houston riot was the habitual brutality of the white police officers of Houston in their treatment of colored people." —The Crisis magazine.

Dec. 10, 1898: Treaty of Paris

The Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Spanish-American War. None of the countries that had fought for decades for their freedom were represented at signing of the treaty.

P. B. S. Pinchback, first African American to hold the executive office | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Dec. 9, 1872: P. B. S. Pinchback Becomes Governor

P. B. S. Pinchback of Louisiana became the second Black governor in the United States.

Rev. Henry McNeal Turner | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 9, 1867: Georgia Constitutional Convention

The Georgia Constitutional Convention was held with 33 African Americans and 137 whites.

Dec. 9, 1864: Ebenezer Creek Massacre

People who had escaped from slavery and were following the Union Army, were blocked from crossing the Ebenezer Creek, leading to their death.

Dec. 8, 1941: Jeannette Rankin Voted Against WWII

Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin was the only member of Congress to vote against declaring war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Vicksburg Massacre | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 7, 1874: Vicksburg Massacre

Whites attacked and killed many Black citizens who had organized for a Black sheriff to remain in office during the Vicksburg Massacre.

Dec. 6, 1929: Cayes Massacre

In Les Cayes, Haiti, one of the worst massacres of civilians took place on December 6, 1929, during the nineteen-year American occupation of Haiti, an occupation that began in 1915.

13th Amendment Engraving | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 6, 1865: 13th Amendment Ratified

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, officially ended the institution of slavery.

Dec. 5, 1955: Montgomery Bus Boycott Began

The Montgomery Bus Boycott is one of the most powerful examples of organizing and social change in U.S. history.

Dec. 4, 1969: Black Panther Party Members Assassinated

Black Panther Party members Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were assassinated by police.

Dec. 4, 1865: Ex-Confederate States Blocked From Joining 39th Congress

After the Civil War, representatives from states recently in rebellion were blocked from being sworn-in at the 39th Congress.

Dec. 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities

International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Dec. 3, 1847: North Star Newspaper Launched

Frederick Douglass and Martin Delany launched the abolitionist North Star newspaper.

Dec. 2, 1980: Three Nuns and Lay Worker Killed in El Salvador

Three nuns and a lay worker were killed in El Salvador by members of the U.S. backed National Guard.

Dec. 2, 1859: John Brown Executed

Abolitionist John Brown was executed by the state of Virginia for leading the infamous Harpers Ferry Raid.

Rosa Parks Highlander School | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 1, 1955: Rosa Parks Refuses to Give Up Her Seat

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

Dec. 1, 1865: Shaw University Established

Shaw University was established as a co-ed campus with support from private donors and the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands. It is the second oldest HBCU in the South.

Shirley Chisholm | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 30, 1924: Shirley Chisholm Born

Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress

Nov. 29, 1864: Sand Creek Massacre

A Colorado Cavalry unit, on orders from Colorado's governor and ignoring a surrender flag, brutally attacked Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. White abolitionist Silas Soule was assassinated for reporting on the event.

Nov. 29, 1781: Zong Massacre

132 enslaved Africans were thrown overboard and killed by British crew during the Zong Massacre.

Nov. 28, 1919: Jane Addams and Palmer Raids

The Palmer Raids began in November of 1919 and targeted suspected radical leftists, especially anarchists, and deported them from the US.

Nov. 28, 1898: First National Convention of the Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty, and Pension Association

The Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty, and Pension Association was founded with a dual mission to organize mutual aid for its members and to pass federal pension legislation that would compensate every formerly enslaved person.

Nov. 27, 1955: Rosa Parks Attends Meeting About Emmett Till

Rosa Parks attended a mass meeting about Emmett Till days before her refusal to give up her seat on the bus.

Lawrence Textile Strike Acquittal | ZInn Education Project

Nov. 26, 1912: Lawrence Textile Strike Acquittal

Joseph James Ettor, Arturo Giovannitti, and Joseph Caruso were acquitted after one of the most important labor trials.

Sean Bell Memorial | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 25, 2006: Sean Bell Murdered

Sean Bell was murdered by New York City police on the day before his wedding.

Nov. 25, 1986: Amy Carter Among 60 People Arraigned for CIA Protest

Sixty people were arraigned on charges of disorderly conduct stemming from a sit-in to block CIA campus recruiting at UMass-Amherst, an act of protest of the CIA’s role in Central America.

The Mirabal Sisters from left, Minerva, Maria Teresa and Patria.

Nov. 25, 1960: Mirabal Sisters Murdered in Dominican Republic

The murder of the Mirabal sisters — who clandestinely opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic and were then brutally killed — has become an international symbol of resistance to violence against women.

Nov. 25, 1859: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Writes to John Brown in Prison

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a Black abolitionist and writer, wrote to John Brown as he awaited his execution.

Nov. 24, 1947: Hollywood 10 Held in Contempt of Congress

The "Hollywood 10" directors, producers, and writers who refused to testify at HUAC were held in contempt of Congress.

Nov. 23, 1887: Thibodaux Massacre

Between 30-60 striking Black Louisiana sugarcane workers were massacred.

Bogalusa, La. lumber mill | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 22, 1919: Bogalusa Labor Massacre, Attack on Interracial Solidarity

The Bogalusa Labor Massacre was an attack on interracial labor solidarity.

Martha Lum's class photo | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 21, 1927: Lum v. Rice Supreme Court Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that, in the case of nine-year old Chinese-American Martha Lum, her exclusion on account of race from school was justified.

Nov. 21, 1842: George Latimer Freed In Boston

A Boston judge stopped the extradition of George Latimer, who had escaped enslavement in Virginia, and allowed him to raise funds for his own manumission.

Nov. 20, 1969: Alcatraz Occupation

Native Americans took over and held Alcatraz Island as Indian Land during the Alcatraz Occupation.

Nov. 20, 1835: New York Committee of Vigilance Founded

Radical abolitionists organized to liberate kidnapped Black New Yorkers and fight racist police violence in the decades after New York abolished slavery.

Nov. 19, 1915: Labor Organizer Joe Hill Executed

The state of Utah executed Joe Hill, labor organizer, songwriter, and member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

Nov. 18, 1909: U.S. War Ships Sent to Nicaragua

President William Howard Taft ordered U.S. warships to Nicaragua to defend U.S. corporate profits.

Nov. 17, 1961: Albany Movement

The Albany Movement engaged multiple civil rights organizations and students in the fight for desegregation and voting rights.

Salvadoran Jesuit Martyrs | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 16, 1989: Jesuit Scholars/Priests and Staff Massacred in El Salvador

Six Jesuit scholars/priests and two staff members were murdered by the U.S. backed military in El Salvador.

San Francisco moratorium march | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 15, 1969: Second Anti-War Moratorium

The second anti-war Moratorium occurred with over 500,000 marching in D.C. and demonstrations throughout the country and the world.

Nov. 15, 1917: Suffragists Beaten and Tortured in the “Night of Terror”

Twenty women were subjected to beatings and torture at Occoquan Workhouse, a prison in Virginia, in what became known as the “Night of Terror.”

Nov. 15, 1842: Slave Revolt at Webbers Falls

The Slave Revolt of 1842 — when dozens of enslaved Black people in Webbers Falls, Oklahoma fought back and briefly escaped from their Cherokee overseers — was the largest rebellion of enslaved people in Indian Territory history.

Nov. 14, 1965: Battle of Ia Drang

The Battle of Ia Drang began between regulars of the United States Army and regulars of the People's Army of Vietnam.

Dr. Charles Gomillion | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 14, 1960: Gomillion v. Lightfoot

SCOTUS ruled 9-0 that redrawing city boundaries in Tuskegee, Alabama to exclude African-American voters violates the 15th Amendment.

Nov. 14, 1889: Nellie Bly Embarks on Travel Around the World

Pioneering journalist Nellie Bly began a successful attempt to travel around the world in less than 80 days.

Nov. 13, 1969: San Marcos 10 Protested War

A group of students were suspended at Southwest Texas State University for peacefully protesting the Vietnam War.

Nov. 13, 1953: Call to Ban Robin Hood in Indiana Schools

Mrs. White of the Indiana Textbook Commission called for a ban of Robin Hood in all school books for promoting communism.

Nov. 13, 1909: Cherry Mine Disaster

A disaster in the Cherry Mine in Cherry, Illinois, killed 259 boys and men.

Nov. 12, 1991: Indonesian Massacre of East Timorese

U.S. armed Indonesian troops fired on peaceful procession in East Timor, 270+ killed.

Carolina Butler | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 12, 1981: Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the Orme Dam Victory

After 10 years of organizing and protesting, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation of Arizona won the struggle when Interior Secretary James Watt announced that Orme Dam would not be built.

Nov. 11: Veterans Day

On Veterans Day, we share a collection of stories about African American veterans who fought in various wars and upon their return to the U.S., were murdered in the fight for democracy and human rights. We also share resources for teaching about the veterans who speak out against war.

Nov. 10, 1995: Murdered by Shell

The Ogoni Nine were executed by the Nigerian military government for campaigning against the devastation of their homeland by oil companies.

Nov. 10, 1898: Wilmington Massacre

The interracial, elected Reconstruction era local government was deposed in a coup d’etat in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Jewish prisoners in Baden-Baden | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 9, 1938: Pogromnacht in Germany and Austria

Violent anti-Jewish demonstrations in Europe in which hundreds of synagogues were destroyed, 7,500 Jewish-owned businesses, homes, and schools were plundered; 91 Jews were murdered; and 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps.

Protesters at Ginwan rally | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 8, 2009: Okinawa Protest

Thousands of Okinawan protesters on the island of Okinawa demanded the removal of the U.S. base there.

Nov. 8, 1892: Massive Labor Strike in New Orleans

30,000 factory and dock workers staged the 1892 New Orleans general strike.

Nov. 7, 1985: Court Ruling in Wrongful Case Against Rubin “Hurricane” Carter

U.S. District Court Judge handed down his decision to free Rubin "Hurricane" Carter who had been wrongfully accused of murder.

Nov. 7, 1861: The Port Royal Experiment Initiated

The Union Army occupied the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina, freeing approximately 10,000 people who had been enslaved, starting what became known as the Port Royal Experiment.

Nov. 7, 1841: The Creole Mutiny

Madison Washington and eighteen other enslaved people rebelled onboard the Creole, a ship involved in the U.S. slave trade.

Nov. 7, 1837: Elijah Parish Lovejoy Murdered

Minister, journalist, newspaper editor, and abolitionist Elijah Parish Lovejoy was murdered by a pro-slavery mob.

Nov. 6, 1965: Draft Card Protest

Draft cards burned in solidarity with David Miller.

Nov. 5, 1867: Alabama State Constitution

Delegates gathered in Montgomery, Alabama, to draft a new state constitution during Reconstruction.

Nicaragua Literacy Campaign 1980 | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 4, 1984: First Democratic Nicaraguan Elections

Nicaragua held its first democratic elections in more than 50 years in 1984.

Nov. 3, 1986: Iran Arms Sales Revealed

Ash-Shiraa reported that the U.S. gov't. had been secretly selling arms to Iran in a hostage release deal.

Greensboro Massacre Protest (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 3, 1979: Greensboro Massacre

Five people were killed when the Ku Klux Klan and Nazis fired on an anti-Klan rally in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Nov. 3, 1972: Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan Occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs

Protesters from the Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) offices in D.C. for six days.

Salvador Allende | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 3, 1970: Salvador Allende Became President of Chile

Salvador Allende became president of Chile and adopted policies for the social good such as raising minimum wage and increasing access to health care and education.

Majority Report on the Danville Riot | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 3, 1883: Danville Riot

African Americans voters were threatened after the Danville Riot, leading to their loss of political power in this majority African American city in Virginia.

Nov. 3, 1874: Robert Smalls Elected

Robert Smalls was elected to Congress from South Carolina during Reconstruction.

Election Riot of 1874 Location Marker | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 3, 1874: White League Attacks Black Voters

Deadly election "riots" took place in Barbour County, Alabama against African American politicians and voters.

Nov. 2, 1920: Imprisoned Eugene V. Debs Received One Million Votes for U.S. President

Eugene V. Debs received one million votes in the U.S. presidential election while in prison on the Socialist Party ticket.

Nov. 2, 1920: The Ocoee Massacre

More than 50 African Americans killed in the Ocoee Massacre after going to vote in Florida.

Nov. 1, 1890: Mississippi Constitution

Mississippi adopted a state constitution with poll tax and literacy tests to roll back the gains of the Reconstruction era.

Oct. 31, 1891: Coal Creek War

During the Coal Creek War, there was a labor uprising to protest convict leasing.

Oct. 30, 1959: Luther Jackson Murdered

Luther Jackson was murdered by Philadelphia, Mississippi policeman Lawrence Rainey.

Oct. 30, 1956: Texas School District Found Guilty of Discriminating Against Mexican-American Students

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas Corpus Christi Division found a South Texas school district guilty of discriminating against Mexican-American students. This was one of the first cases that directly applied the ruling made in Brown v. Board of Education to Mexican-American students.

Mary McLeod Bethune, pictured in the 1920s, when her school became a co-ed institution and she became the president of the National Association of Colored Women.

Fall, 1922: Mary McLeod Bethune Confronts Klan to Defend Black Voting Rights

Mary McLeod Bethune faced off against the Ku Klux Klan in defense of Black voting rights in Daytona, Florida.

Oct. 30, 1870: Protest of Racist Policies on Streetcars in Louisville

Reconstruction era protest of racist discrimination on streetcars.

Oct. 29, 1969: Supreme Court Rules Schools Must Desegregate

The Supreme Court ruled that schools had to desegregate "immediately," instead of the previous ruling of "with all deliberate speed."

Oct. 28, 1964: U.S. Officials Deny Bombing North Vietnam

U.S. officials denied any involvement in the bombing of North Vietnam.

Hate Will Not Define Us | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 24 and 27, 2018: Hate Crimes in Kentucky and Pennsylvania

Two hate crime shootings in one week, one of African Americans in Kentucky and the other of Jews in Pittsburgh.

Oct. 27, 1994: U.S. Prison Population Exceeds One Million

The U.S. Justice Department announced that the prison population topped one million for the first time in U.S. history.

Oct. 26, 2001: PATRIOT Act Signed

President George W. Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act, which rolled back civil liberties for U.S. citizens and immigrants.

Oct. 25, 1969: Opening of Malcolm X Liberation University

The Malcolm X Liberation University in Durham, North Carolina opened.

Harry Belafonte | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 25, 1958: Youth March for Integrated Schools

A. Philip Randolph, Jackie Robinson, Coretta Scott King, Harry Belafonte, Bayard Rustin, and more led a Youth March for Integrated Schools in Washington, D.C.

Oct. 25, 1868: St. Bernard Parish Massacre

The St. Bernard Parish (Louisiana) massacre of African Americans was carried out by white men to terrorize the recently emancipated voters.

Oct. 24, 1871: Los Angeles Chinatown Massacre

A lynch mob of 500 Anglo and Latino Los Angelinos rioted and murdered at least 17 Chinese residents after a white civilian died in a shootout.

Oct. 23, 1947: An Appeal to the World

The NAACP sent to the U.N. a document titled “An Appeal to the World,” to redress human rights violations the United States committed against its African-American citizens.

Chicago School Boycott | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 22, 1963: Chicago School Boycott

The Chicago Public School Boycott, also known as Freedom Day, was a mass boycott and demonstration against the segregationist policies.

John Earl Reese | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 22, 1955: John Earl Reese Murdered

In an effort to stop the implementation of Brown v. Board through terrorism, 16-yr-old John Earl Reese was killed in Mayflower, Texas.

Oct. 22, 1883: Frederick Douglass Denounces Supreme Court Ruling

In this speech, Frederick Douglass denounced the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, in which the Supreme Court held that the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments did not empower Congress to outlaw racial discrimination by private individuals.

Anthony Crawford | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 21, 1916: African American Landowner Anthony Crawford Lynched

Successful African American entrepreneur, landowner, and community leader Anthony P. Crawford was murdered by a lynch mob.

Oct. 20, 1942: Durham Manifesto

The Southern Conference on Race Relations (SCRR) was held in Durham, NC to address dichotomy between African American soldiers fighting overseas in the name of democracy while in the U.S. they were facing racial violence and being denied basic human rights.

Oct. 19, 1870: First African Americans Elected to the House of Representatives

For the first time, African Americans were elected to the House of Representatives in 1870.

The Persons Case | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 18, 1929: The Persons Case

The Persons Case, a legal milestone in Canada, established the right of women to sit in the Senate of Canada.

Raising the U.S. Flag over San Juan | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 18, 1898: U.S. Troops Raised U.S. Flag Over Puerto Rico

U.S. troops raised the U.S. flag over Puerto Rico.

Oct. 18, 1587: First Documented Arrival of Filipinos in (what became) the U.S.

Filipino American History Month is celebrated in the United States during the month of October.

Oct. 17, 1969: 14 Black Student Athletes Fired at Hint of Protest

Fourteen Black football players at the University of Wyoming were fired when their coach learned they wanted to wear black armbands during a game against Brigham Young University.

Oct. 17, 1950: Empire Zinc Strike

The local chapter of the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers went on strike to protest their segregated housing and unfair wages and living conditions.

Oct. 17, 1920: Marie Equi Jailed

Marie Equi entered San Quentin prison to serve a one-year term for her anti-war protests.

Oct. 17, 1837: Petition to Repeal Black Codes in Ohio

The first general convention of African American Ohioans met in Columbus and pledged to continue raising their voices in order to repeal the Black Codes.

OPHR button - John Carlos and Tommy Smith | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 16, 1968: Olympics Black Power Salute

Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a symbolic protest while the U.S. national anthem was played in the Olympics.

Oct. 16, 1859: Abolitionist Raid on Harpers Ferry

An abolitionist raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, WV -- in an attempt to start an armed revolt against the institution of slavery.

Oct. 15, 1968: Wyomia Tyus Sets Olympic Records

At the XIX Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968, Wyomia Tyus became the first person to win gold medals in the 100-meter sprint in two consecutive Olympics. She was also participating in Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) protest.

Emory Douglas Artwork | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Oct. 15, 1966: The Black Panther Party Founded

The Black Panther Party sought justice for African Americans and other oppressed communities through a combination of revolutionary theory, education, and community programs.

Piedmont Leaf Protest | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 15, 1914: Clayton Antitrust Act Enacted

The Clayton Antitrust Act sought to end practices that limited competition throughout the economy.

Oct. 15, 1883: Civil Rights Act of 1875 Declared Unconstitutional

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1875, forbidding discrimination in hotels, trains, and other public spaces, was unconstitutional and not authorized by the 13th or 14th Amendments of the Constitution.

Oct. 14, 1916: Paul Robeson Excluded from Rutgers Football Team

As a sophomore, Paul Robeson was excluded from the Rutgers Football team because another team refused to play against a Black player.

Oct. 13, 1902: Ben Katz Born

Labor and cultural activist Ben Katz was born.

White House Black History | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 13, 1792: White House Cornerstone Laid

The White House cornerstone was laid. Among those who constructed the building were African Americans, both free and enslaved.

Oct. 12, 1898: Battle of Virden

A small band of striking coal miners in southern Illinois called out Chicago coal barons and stood their ground at Virden.

D.C. Jail Uprising | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 11, 1972: D.C. Jail Uprising

An uprising took place at a D.C. jail to protest conditions.

Oct. 10, 1942: Petition from Aleut Women

Aleut women from the Pribilof Islands Program wrote a petition about the dangerous internment camp conditions.

Statue of Octavius Catto with people gathered around it

Oct. 10, 1871: Octavius Catto Killed on Election Day in Philadelphia

Philadelphia Black educator, baseball player, and civil rights activist Octavius V. Catto was murdered by a white supremacist on election day.

Oct. 9, 1967: Che Guevara Executed

Che Guevara was killed by U.S. military backed-Bolivian forces, working with the CIA.

Wangari Maathai - Cancel the Debt Protest | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 8, 2004: Wangari Maathai Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on the environment and founded the Greenbelt Movement.

War in Afghanistan | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 7, 2001: United States and U.K. Began War in Afghanistan

The United States and United Kingdom began the war in Afghanistan.

Oct. 7, 1998: Matthew Shepard Beaten and Left to Die

Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, was beaten, robbed, and left to die.

Oct. 7, 1873: Henry E. Hayne Accepted at USC Medical School

Henry E. Hayne was the first Black student to be accepted to the University of South Carolina’s medical school, a bold act which encouraged other Black students to apply. By 1875, Black men comprised the majority of the student body.

Oct. 6, 1917: Fannie Lou Hamer Born

Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights activist, was born in Montgomery County, Mississippi.

Oct. 5, 1986: Eugene Hasenfus Captured During Iran-Contra Scandal

The cover-up of the Iran-Contra scandal began to unravel when Eugene Hasenfus was captured by Nicaraguan troops.

Berglund Walkout McComb MS | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 4, 1961: Burglund High School Walkout

Burglund students walked out in response to the expulsions of their classmates and the murder of Herbert Lee.

Oct. 4, 1864: New Orleans Tribune Launched

The New Orleans Tribune was launched and published daily in French and English by Louis Charles Roudanez.

March in support of Ethiopia | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 3, 1935: Ethiopia Invaded by Italy

Ethiopia was invaded by Fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini.

Oct. 2, 1968: Tlatelolco Massacre

Student demonstrators and other civilians were killed by the military and police in Mexico in advance of the 1968 Olympic Games.

Oct. 2, 1937: Parsley Massacre

Under the orders of U.S.-backed Dominican dictator President Rafael Trujillo, the execution of more than 20,000 Haitians began in what is now known as the Parsley Massacre at Massacre River.

Oct. 1, 1964: Free Speech Movement

The Free Speech Movement was launched at UC-Berkeley.

Oct. 1, 1851: The Jerry Rescue

Abolitionists freed a man captured under Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 in Syracuse, New York.

Elaine Massacre Defendants | Zinn Education Project

Sept. 30, 1919: Elaine Massacre

Black farmers were massacred in Elaine, Arkansas for their efforts to fight for better pay and higher cotton prices. A white mob shot at them, and the farmers returned fire in self-defense. Estimates range from 100-800 killed, and 67 survivors were indicted for inciting violence.

Sept. 29, 1951: “A Call to Negro Women” Sojourners for Truth and Justice

A decade before the March on Washington, a group of Black women known as the Sojourners for Truth and Justice gathered in Washington D.C. to advocate for their rights.

Sept. 29, 1943: Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary Hunger Strike

Conscientious objectors began a hunger strike at Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary.

A landscape painting of historic Sanford, Florida.

Sept. 29, 1877: City of Sanford Incorporated

Originally inhabited by Mayaca Indigenous communities and site of the Seminole Wars in the early-to-mid 1800s, the town of Sanford, Florida was incorporated during Reconstruction.

Photo of Will Brown from the "World-Herald," 1919.

Sept. 28, 1919: The Omaha Courthouse Lynching and Riot

A white mob of between 5,000 to 15,000 lynched African American Will Brown. The Army arrested mob ringleaders. Even though photographs identified them, all of the suspects were eventually released.

Palo Duro Amarillo | Zinn Education Project

Sept 28, 1874: Battle of Palo Duro Canyon

Encampments of Comanches, Kiowas, Kiowa Apaches, Cheyennes, and Arapahos were attacked by the U.S. military.

Opelousas Massacre | Zinn Education Project

Sept. 28, 1868: Opelousas Massacre

In response to the promotion of voter registration, a KKK like group massacred hundreds of people, most who were African American.

An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World manuscript cover.

Sept. 28, 1829: An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World

David Walker published one of the most important documents of the 19th century.

Sept. 27, 1962: Silent Spring Published

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was published.

Sept. 26, 1909: International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union Strike

Local 25 of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) declared a strike.

Sept. 25, 1961: Murder of Herbert Lee

Herbert Lee, a farmer who helped voting rights activists, was murdered by a state legislator in broad daylight.

The Milwaukee 14 Bob Graf |Zinn Education Project

Sept. 24, 1968: Milwaukee 14 Burn Draft Files

Fourteen people removed 10,000 draft cards from the Milwaukee draft board.

Sept. 23, 1968: Young Lords Founded

The Young Lords were established in Chicago in 1968, led by a street activist named Cha Cha Jiménez, who organized the group to fight local gentrification, police brutality, and racism.

Coltrane at Blue Train session, 1957. By Francis Wolff.

Sept. 23, 1926: John Coltrane Born

John Coltrane was born. Also born #tdih: Mary Church Terrell (1863), Ray Charles (1930), and Bruce Springsteen (1949).

Sept. 22, 1862: Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation

Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

Sept. 21, 1976: Sheridan Circle Car Bomb

Orlando Letelier and Ronni Moffitt were killed in Washington, D.C. by a U.S.-backed Augusto Pinochet regime car bomb.

Sept. 20, 2017: Hurricane Maria Strikes Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico as a major Category 4 storm.

Sept. 20, 1962: James Meredith Attempts to Register at University of Mississippi

James Meredith attempted to register at the University of Mississippi.

Sept. 20, 1830: The First Meeting of the Colored Conventions Movement

Forty African Americans, elected by communities in nine states, met in Philadelphia in 1830 to organize for improving the lives of Black people in North America. That week, they founded the National Colored Conventions movement and held its first official series of formal meetings.

Affidavit of Philip Joiner, Albany, Georgia, Sept. 23, 1868.

Sept. 19, 1868: Camilla Massacre

As African Americans marched peacefully in response to their expulsion from elected office, more than a dozen were massacred near Albany, Georgia.

Sept. 18, 1850: Fugitive Slave Act Passed

The U.S. Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

U.S. Constitution | Zinn Education Project

Sept. 17, 1787: U.S. Constitution Signed

The U.S. Constitution was signed.

William Whipper. Published in The Underground Railroad by William Still, Philadelphia, 1879.

Sept. 16, 1837: Abolitionist William Whipper Advocated Non-Violence

William Whipper published "An Address on Non-Resistance to Offensive Aggression."

Sept. 15, 2013: Lummi Nation Began Kwel hoy’ Totem Pole Journey

The Lummi Nation begin the Kwel hoy' Totem Pole journey.

Sept. 15, 1963: 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing

The 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed in an act of terrorism in Birmingham, Alabama.

Sept. 14, 2013: Jonathan Ferrell Killed by Police

Jonathan Ferrell was killed by police in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sept. 14, 1941: Rally Against Police Brutality

Four marches from different points in the city of Washington, D.C. got underway, against police brutality.

Sept. 14, 1911: El Primer Congreso Mexicanista Convenes in Laredo

El Primer Congreso Mexicanista (First Mexicanist Congress) met in Laredo, TX in order to discuss social, labor, educational, and economic issues facing Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the United States.

Oberlin Rescuers | Zinn Education Project

Sept. 13, 1858: Oberlin Wellington Rescue

Eighteen-year-old John Price was arrested by a federal marshal in Oberlin, Ohio under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

Little Rock Schools | Zinn Education Project

Sept. 12, 1958: Little Rock Public Schools Closed

Orval Faubus closed all Little Rock, Arkansas public schools for one year rather than allow integration.

Sept. 11, 2001: Orlando and Phyllis Rodriguez: “Not In Our Son’s Name”

Orlando and Phyllis Rodriguez spoke out against using September 11, 2001 as a pretext for war.

Sept. 11, 1990: Murder of Myrna Mack

Anthropologist Myrna Mack Chang was murdered in Guatemala by U.S. backed military due to her outspoken criticism of the Guatemala government's treatment of the indigenous Maya.

Sept. 11, 1973: Salvador Allende Killed

Chile’s democratically elected president, Salvador Allende was killed in a U.S. backed coup.

Two-story farmhouse where the Christian Riot occurred in 1851 in Pennsylvania.

Sept. 11, 1851: Christiana Riot

A community of armed Black men and women successfully defended four Black people from capture, serving as a catalyst for further armed self-defense within the abolitionist movement.

Lattimer Massacre | Zinn Education Project

Sept. 10, 1897: Lattimer Massacre

Nineteen mineworkers were killed and dozens were wounded in the Lattimer Massacre.

Sept. 10, 1895: South Carolina Constitutional Convention Convened

The South Carolina Constitutional Convention convened to disenfranchise Black voters.

Attica Prison Uprising | Zinn Education Project

Sept. 9, 1971: Attica Prison Uprising

The Attica Prison Uprising began.

Sept. 9, 1915: The Association for the Study of African American Life and History

ASALH was established by Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland.

The Stono Rebellion Marker (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Sept. 9, 1739: The Stono Rebellion

Uprising by enslaved people in South Carolina.

Sept. 8, 1965: Delano Grape Strike Began

The Delano grape strike began.

Sept. 7, 1977: Panama Canal

Treaties were signed to turn over control of the Panama Canal from the U.S. to Panama.

Sept. 6, 2017: U.S. Virgin Islands Hit by Hurricane Irma

The Virgin Islands were hit by Hurricane Irma. Also, on #tdih in 1928, Hurricane Okeechobee formed and hit Puerto Rico and Florida soon in mid-September.

Sept. 5, 1964: Heffners Forced Out of Town for Crossing Color Line

A white family (the Heffners) in McComb, Mississippi, left after a campaign of harassment, ostracism, and economic retaliation for having spoken to civil rights workers.

Justseeds poster showing dockworkers rolling a barrel.

Sept. 5, 1917: Federal Raids on IWW

Federal agents seized records, destroyed equipment and books, and arrested hundreds of activists involved with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

Sept. 4, 1949: Concert in Peekskill Attacked

Benefit concert for the Civil Rights Congress with Paul Robeson was held in Peekskill, New York.

Mine workers in Gary, West Virginia, 1908

Sept. 4, 1921: Battle of Blair Mountain Ends

Sept. 4 marks the end of fighting at the Battle of Blair Mountain, which was the largest example of class war in U.S. history.

Sept. 4, 1875: Clinton, Mississippi Massacre

Nearly 50 African-Americans were killed by white mobs during the Clinton Riot.

Sept. 3, 1991: Fire at Food Processing Plant Kills 25 Workers

Chicken plant workers died when a preventable workplace "accident" trapped them in a burning building.

Sept. 3, 1868: Henry McNeal Turner Addressed the Georgia Legislature

Henry McNeal Turner addressed the Georgia Legislature on its decision to expel all Black representatives.

Sept. 2, 1966: Grenada, Miss. School Desegregation Battle

The Grenada, Mississippi school board shuttered school instead of opening its doors to registered Black students.

Sept. 2, 1945: Vietnam Declared Independence from France

Ho Chi Minh declared the independence of Vietnam from France.

Rock Springs Massacre | Zinn Education Project

Sept. 2, 1885: Rock Springs Massacre

White coal miners in Rock Springs, Wyoming, brutally attacked the Chinese workers.

Sept. 1, 1987: S. Brian Willson’s Legs Amputated by Train During Nonviolent Protest

S. Brian Willson's legs were amputated by a train during a nonviolent protest.

Sept. 1, 1965: Klan Raid Family Home in Hayneville, Alabama

The Klan shot into the home of Freedom Library organizer Pattie Mae McDonald and her family to terrorize them.

Sept. 1, 1956: Clinton Desegregation Crisis

The White Citizens Council and Klan launched full-scale rioting in Clinton, Tennessee in response to school desegregation.

Headline of article from the Pine Bluff Daily Graphic, September 4, 1919.

Sept. 1, 1919: Lynching of WWI Veteran Clinton Briggs

Decorated WWI veteran Clinton Briggs was killed in Arkansas.

Aug. 31, 1921: Battle of Blair Mountain

The Battle of Blair Mountain was the climax of two mine wars fought in the West Virginia coalfields.

Aug. 31, 1895: Julius Taylor Publishes Broad Ax

Julius Taylor founded and ran Broad Ax, a Utah-based Black newspaper which challenged commonly accepted beliefs about politics and religion at the end of the twentieth century.

Aug. 30, 1967: People’s Tribunal in Detroit

People’s Tribunal on killing of three young men at Algiers Motel in Detroit.

Aug. 30, 1919: The Knoxville Riot

In Tennessee, a group of whites rioted after forming a mob to lynch Maurice Mays, a Black man in custody on for the alleged (with no evidence) murder of a white woman.

Aug. 30, 1843: Liberty Party Convention

The Liberty Party held its second convention.

Aug. 29, 1970: Chicano Moratorium and Murder of Journalist Ruben Salazar

The National Chicano Moratorium March was held to protest the Vietnam War and Latino journalist Ruben Salazar was killed.

Aug. 29, 1915: Two African Americans Lynched in Texas

Two African American men were burned at the stake in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

Aug. 29, 1786: Shays’ Rebellion

Massachusetts farmers arm themselves, rebel against taxation under the Articles of Confederation.

Jobs and Justice March | Zinn Education Project

Aug. 28, 1963: March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Hundreds of thousands of civil rights activists marched on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Aug. 28, 1955: Murder of Emmett Till

Teenager Emmett Till was lynched.

Aug. 27, 1963: W. E. B. Du Bois Dies

W. E. B. Du Bois died in Accra, Ghana.

Aug. 27, 1960: Ax Handle Saturday

White Floridians violently respond to lunch counter demonstrations.

Aug. 26, 2016: Quarterback Colin Kaepernick Kneels in Protest

Colin Kaepernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49'ers, draws attention to his quiet protest against police brutality during an NFL pre-season game.

Suffragists White House | Zinn Education Project

Aug. 26, 1920: 19th Amendment Adopted

The 19th Amendment was formally adopted.

Aug. 25, 1925: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters

The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was launched in New York.

Aug. 24, 1922: Howard Zinn Born

Howard Zinn, a historian, author, professor, playwright, and activist, was born in Brooklyn.

Fort Hood ASU Ellen Catalinotto (photo) | The Zinn Education Project

August 23, 1968: Forty-Three Black Soldiers Stage Sit-In at Ft. Hood

When the “Fort Hood 43” refused to board a plane to Chicago for riot-control duty against fellow African Americans, their non-violent act became one of the largest demonstrations of dissent in U.S. military history.

Aug. 23, 1927: Bartolomeo Vanzetti and Nicola Sacco Executed

Italian-born immigrants, workers, and anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti were executed in Boston.

Aug. 22, 1964: Sharecroppers Demand Delivery of Full Suffrage in the U.S.

Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, and the other members of the MFDP at the Democratic National Convention, questioned the nation about the lack of "one person, one vote" in the United States.

Aug. 22, 1781: Elizabeth Mumbet Freeman Secures Her Freedom

Elizabeth Mumbet Freeman, won her freedom. She had secured an attorney and filed a "freedom suit” under the 1780 state constitution for Massachusetts.

Aug. 21, 1971: Anti-war Protesters Raid Draft Offices

Twenty anti-war protesters were arrested for breaking into selective service offices and destroying draft records.

August 21, 1939. Arrest of five young Black men for peaceful protest at the whites-only "public" library in Alexandria, Va.

Aug. 21, 1939: Five Black Men Arrested for Going to Publicly Funded Library

Five Black men were arrested for staging a peaceful sit-in at the Alexandria "public" library that denied access to African Americans, making this the anniversary of one of the earliest instances of this form of non-violent protest that became popular in the mid-20th century.

Aug. 21, 1831: Nat Turner Launches Rebellion

Nathaniel Turner launched one of the most historic revolts to end enslavement.

Aug. 20, 1965: Jonathan Daniels Killed

Jonathan Myrick Daniels was shot dead in broad daylight in Lowndes County after being released from jail for picketing stores that denied entry to African Americans.

Aug. 20, 1619: Africans in Virginia

On or about Aug. 20, 1619, the documented arrival of Africans—stolen from their homelands and brought to British North America—occurred at Point Comfort.

Clara Luper (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Aug. 19, 1958: Katz Drugstore Sit-Ins

Clara Luper and the NAACP Youth Council began sit-ins to desegregate lunch counters.

Aug. 19, 1953: U.S. and Britain Topple Democratically Elected Government of Iran

Democratically elected Iranian Premier Mohammad Mossadegh was removed from power in a coup.

Aug. 18, 1977: Steve Biko Arrested

Anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko was arrested at a police roadblock.

Aug. 15 and 17, 1973: Two Striking United Farm Workers Killed

Two striking United Farm Workers (UFW) were killed on Aug. 15 and 17, 1973, while picketing.

Aug. 16, 1955: Paul Robeson Lost Court Appeal

Paul Robeson lost his court appeal to have the U.S. State Department grant him a passport.

Aug. 15, 1988: Food Not Bombs Volunteers Arrested

Nine volunteers were arrested for sharing food and literature at Golden Gate Park.

Aug. 15: 1975: Joan Little Acquitted

Joan Little was acquitted, using the defense that she used deadly force to resist sexual assault.

historic sign seen entering the town of Eatonsville, Florida

Aug. 15, 1887: All-Black Town of Eatonville Incorporated

Eatonville, Florida is the oldest Black-incorporated municipality in the United States, incorporated toward the end of the Reconstruction era.

Aug. 15 – 22, 1829: The Cincinnati Riots

Starting on August 15, 1829, white mobs in Cincinnati, Ohio, rioted for a week to assault the city's Black residents and destroy their property .

Aug. 14, 2017: Activists Topple Confederate Monument in Durham

Freedom fighter Takiyah Thompson looped a bright yellow strap around the neck of a Durham monument to Confederate soldiers, and a crowd of other activists pulled it down, inspiring other communities to take direct action in removing public symbols that glorify white supremacy, and to raise up new stories that celebrate all people.

Detail of the cover of one of the many pamphlets produced by the National Joint Action Committee in support of Congressman Ernest Lundeen’s social insurance bill. "What Every Working Woman Wants" was printed by Workers’ Library Publishers, NYC, 1935.

Aug. 14, 1935: The Social Security Act Passed

The Social Security Act was passed, one of the results of the strength of organized labor and other mass movements of the 1930s.

Aug. 14, 1908: Springfield Massacre

Springfield Massacre was committed against African Americans by a mob of about 5,000 white people in Springfield, Illinois.

Aug. 13, 1955: Lamar Smith Murdered

Lamar Smith, 63-year-old farmer and WWI veteran, was shot dead in Brookhaven, Mississippi, for urging African Americans to vote.

Aug. 13, 1910: Ministers Appeal to President Taft After Slocum Massacre

A group of more than 150 ministers from Washington, D.C. wrote to President William Taft about the Slocum massacre.

Carter Children | Zinn Education Project

Aug. 12, 1965: Carter Family Insists on Rights Under Brown v. Board

Mae Bertha and Matthew Carter enrolled their children in schools in Sunflower County, Mississippi that had been illegally denied to African Americans. In retaliation, they were evicted from the land they sharecropped and their home was riddled with bullets.

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop (Book) | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Aug. 11, 1973: Hip Hop Born

Hip hop's origins began at a dance party where DJ Kool Herc used two turntables to create a "break beat."

"Prison Justice Day" by Rocky Tobey. Part of the Celebrate People's History Poster collection by the Justseeds Collective.

Aug. 10, 1975: Prisoner Strike Leads to Prisoners’ Justice Day

August 10 is recognized internationally as Prisoners’ Justice Day (PJD), a day of solidarity and organizing with the incarcerated, and remembrance of those who died behind bars, living in inhumane conditions.

Aug. 10, 1835: Destruction of Noyes Academy

Nearly 500 white men destroyed the Noyes Academy (an integrated school) in Canaan, New Hampshire.

Aug. 9, 2014: Michael Brown Killed by Police

Michael Brown was fatally shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

Aug. 9, 1970: The Mangrove Nine Arrested in London

Nine Black activists were arrested in London and charged with inciting a riot when they led over 150 protestors in a march against police harassment.

Aug. 8, 1964: Freedom Schools Convention

The Freedom Schools Convention was held in Mississippi.

Aug. 7, 1964: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed without a single dissent in the House of Representatives, and only two no votes in the Senate.

The Sugar Shack | Zinn Education Project

Aug. 6, 1965: Voting Rights Act

The Voting Rights Act was signed into law.

Aug. 6, 1964: Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party Convention

The MFDP held a State Convention with 2,500 people in Mississippi.

Aug. 6, 1945: The U.S. Dropped an Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima

The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb for the first time in war over the city of Hiroshima.

Aug. 6, 1855: Bloody Monday

On election day, in Louisville, Kentucky, Protestant mobs attacked German and Irish Catholic neighborhoods.

Visitors look at a memorial near the entrance of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin Wednesday, July 31, 2013, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Aug. 5, 2012: The Sikh Temple of Wisconsin Massacre

A white supremacist shot and killed six members of the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

Newspaper account of African Americans killed and wounded during labor strife in Polk County, from the New York Times; August 10, 1896.

Aug. 5, 1896: Polk County Massacre

White workers murdered Black workers in Arkansas who were coming to work on the railways.

photos of the three missing men during Mississippi Freedom Summer.

Aug. 4, 1964: Civil Rights Workers Bodies Found

The bodies of three lynched civil rights workers (James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman) were found.

Aug. 3, 1981: Air Traffic Controllers Strike

The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) declared a strike.

Aug. 3, 1980: Reagan Gives “State’s Rights” Speech at Neshoba County Fair

Reagan appealed to the “George Wallace-inclined voters” and to white supremacy in his stump speech at the Neshoba County Fair, mere miles away from where three civil rights workers were murdered by the Klan in 1964.

Aug. 3, 1946: J. C. Farmer Killed

J. C. Farmer, a 19-year-old African American WWII veteran, was killed by a mob of 20 white men.

James Baldwin Freedom Day Selma 1964 | Zinn Education Project

Aug. 2, 1924: James Baldwin Born

James Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York.

Aug. 2, 1869: First “Redeemer” Government Established in Tennessee

The first “Redeemer” government is established in Tennessee after conservatives gain control of the state’s General Assembly, ushering in an era of Jim Crow segregation laws.

Aug. 1, 1952: Sarah Keys Refused to Give Up Her Seat on a Bus

Sarah Keys refused to give up her seat on a state-to-state charter bus, prompting the landmark court case, Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company.

Detail of portrait of Frank Little by Nicole Schulman.

Aug. 1, 1917: Labor Organizer Frank Little Lynched

IWW labor organizer Frank Little was lynched from a railroad trestle.

Poster for an event in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1849, to commemorate the end of slavery in the British West Indies.

Aug. 1, 1834: Britain Passes Slavery Abolition Act

August First Day became a symbol of hope for enslaved people and abolitionists in the United States when Britain passed the Slavery Abolition Act on August 1, 1834, abolishing slavery throughout its colonies around the world.

Odawa Chief Pontiac Meets with Gladwin | Zinn Education Project

July 31, 1763: Chief Pontiac Wins Battle of Bloody Run at Fort Detroit

The unified Native warriors, who fought with Odawa Chief Pontiac, defeated 250 British soldiers during their siege at Fort Detroit during Pontiac's War.

July 30, 1975: Massacre in El Salvador

Dozens of high school and university students in a peaceful protest were killed and injured by the U.S. backed Salvadoran police and National Guard.

July 30, 1920: Lynching of Sergeant Edgar Caldwell

Sergeant Edgar Caldwell was hanged before a crowd of spectators in the yard of the Calhoun County jail.

Painting by Robert Shetterly from Americans Who Tell the Truth

July 30, 1881: Major Smedley Darlington Butler Born

Anti-war activist Major Smedley Darlington Butler was born.

The New Orleans Riot at Mechanics' Institute | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

July 30, 1866: New Orleans Massacre

The New Orleans Massacre occurred when white residents attacked Black marchers near the reconvened Louisiana Constitutional Convention.

July 29, 1910: Slocum Massacre in Texas

Citizens in the small, predominately African American town of Slocum, Texas, were massacred.

July 29, 1835: Abolitionist Literature Removed from Post Office and Burned

Late night raid on the Charleston post office by a mob of white supremacists and the burning of abolitionist mail.

July 28, 1932: Bonus Army Attacked

The U.S. government attacked an encampment of Black and white WWI veterans with tanks, bayonets, and tear gas.

July 28, 1917: Silent March Down Fifth Avenue

W. E. B. Du Bois and the NAACP organized a silent march in NYC to protest the massacres and lynchings of African Americans.

Riot Sweeps Chicago | Zinn Education Project

July 27, 1919: Red Summer in Chicago

Sparked by a white police officer's refusal to make an arrest in the murder of a Black teenager, Chicago's Red Summer violence lasted almost a week. At least 38 people were killed and thousands of Black homes were looted and damaged.

Painting by Jackson Walker, Museum of Florida Art

July 27, 1816: Attack on Apalachicola River

The U.S. Army firebombed a fort on the Apalachicola River in Florida.

July 26, 1950: No Gun Ri Massacre

During the No Gun Ri Massacre, the U.S. Army ordered that all Korean civilians traveling and moving around the country must be stopped.

Moore's Ford Bridge | Zinn Education Project

July 25, 1946: Moore’s Ford Bridge Lynching

Two young African American couples were lynched near the Moore's Ford Bridge. One of the men was a WWII veteran.

July 25, 1898: U.S. Invades Puerto Rico

U.S. troops invaded Puerto Rico at Guánica.

July 24, 1973: Twelve-Year-Old Santos Rodriguez Killed By Police

Twelve-year-old Santos Rodriguez and his 13-year-old brother David were pulled from their home in Dallas, Texas, handcuffed, and put inside a police car. Santos was killed when one of the officers played Russian roulette to try to force the boys to confess to a crime.

F.M.B. "Marsh" Cook | ZInn Education Project

July 23, 1890: F. M. B. “Marsh” Cook Killed

F. M. B. “Marsh” Cook, a white man, was killed for standing up against the white supremacist 1890 Mississippi Constitutional Convention.

July 22, 1966: Lawful Demonstrators Threatened by Klan and Police in Grenada, Mississippi

US District Judge issued an injunction ordering police in Grenada, Mississippi to stop interfering with lawful protest. This ruling followed weeks of arrests and beating of demonstrators who had been attempting to desegregate businesses in the town.

Lucas Square St. Louis Rail Strike | Zinn Education Project

July 22, 1877: St. Louis Rail Strike

Rail workers and residents of St. Louis, Missouri briefly took over the city as part of the wider Great Railroad Strike of 1877.

July 21, 1656: Elizabeth Key Wins Her Freedom

In early Colonial Virginia, Elizabeth Key became the first woman of African descent in the North American colonies to sue for her freedom and win.

July 20, 1967: Newark Black Power Conference Begins

The National Conference on Black Power was a gathering of more than 1,000 delegates representing 286 organizations and institutions from 126 cities in 26 states, Bermuda, and Nigeria.

July 19, 1958: Dockum Drug Store Sit-In

Ron Walters and Carol Parks-Haun, and other leaders in the NAACP Youth Council, organized a sit-in.

soldiers at a YWCA Hostess House | Zinn Education Project

July 19, 1919: White Mobs in Uniform Attack African Americans — Who Fight Back — in Washington, D.C.

White mobs, incited by the media, attacked the African American community in Washington, D.C., and African American soldiers returning from WWI. This was one of the many violent events that summer and it was distinguished by strong and organized Black resistance to the white violence.

July 19, 1881: Atlanta Washerwomen’s Strike

Black women in Atlanta who washed clothes for a living organized an effective Reconstruction era strike — with clear demands, strategic timing, and door-to-door canvassing.

July 18, 1966: Hough Uprising

Protest and civil unrest broke out in Cleveland following years of escalation of racial tension.

July 18, 1946: Murder of Maceo Snipes

WWII veteran Maceo Snipes was murdered after casting his vote in the Georgia Democratic Primary.

Newsboys Strike | Zinn Education Project

July 18, 1899: Newsboys Strike in New York

The Newsboys Strike of 1899 began in New York City.

July 18, 1863: Sgt. William Carney Earns Medal of Honor on Civil War Battlefield

On this day, a volunteer infantryman performed an act of courage that was the earliest event to earn an African American soldier the Medal of Honor.

July 17, 1944: Port Chicago Disaster and Mutiny

A deadly munitions explosion occurred at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Port Chicago, California. When the surviving African Americans sailors demanded safer conditions before returning to work, they faced court martial and jail.

Relatives of the Groveland Four, including Carol Greenlee, right, gather at a monument that was unveiled in front of the Old Lake County Courthouse in Tavares, Fla., on Feb. 21, 2020.

July 16, 1949: Groveland Four Arrested

Four African Americans were brutally beaten and arrested after being falsely accused of a crime in Groveland, Florida.

July 16, 1944: Irene Morgan Refuses to Change Seats on Bus

Irene Morgan refused to change her seat on a segregated bus in Virginia.

Elizabeth Jennings Graham | Zinn Education Project

July 16, 1854: Elizabeth Jennings Graham

Schoolteacher Elizabeth Jennings Graham successfully challenged racist streetcar policies in New York City.

July 15, 1978: The Longest Walk

The Longest Walk, a transcontinental trek for Native American justice, ended.

July 15, 1964: Ozell Sutton Denied Service at Arkansas Capitol Cafeteria

WWII vet Ozell Sutton was denied service at the Arkansas Capitol cafeteria after visiting the building to collect voter registration materials.

July 14, 1970: Young Lords Occupy Lincoln Hospital

The Young Lords occupied Lincoln Hospital’s major administrative building in response to deplorable treatment of people of color.

outline of black soccer ball with pink background.

July 14, 1969: Soccer War

In 1969, a brief war broke out between Honduras and El Salvador.

July 13, 1863: New York City Draft Riots and Massacre

The NYC Draft Massacre ("Riots") were the largest civil insurrection in U.S. history besides the Civil War itself. White mobs attacked the African American community — committing murder and burning homes and institutions (including an orphanage.)

July 12, 1964: Henry Dee and Charles Moore Case

The bodies of Charles Eddie Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee, were found in the Mississippi River. They had been tortured and murdered by the Klan two months earlier.

July 12, 1917: The Bisbee Deportation

The Bisbee Deportation was the illegal deportation of more than 1,000 striking mine workers (IWW-led strike), their supporters, and citizen bystanders by 2,000 vigilantes.

July 11, 1964: Lemuel Penn Killed

Athens-area Ku Klux Klan members shot and killed WWII veteran and DCPS assistant superintendent Lemuel Penn.

Cicero Riot - Burning | The Zinn Education Project

July 11, 1951: Cicero Riot Over Housing Desegregation

Thousands of white people rioted after a young Black couple moved into an apartment in Cicero, Illinois, west of Chicago. They firebombed the building, overturned police cars, and threw stones at firefighters who tried to put out the fire.

July 11, 1947: Anguilla Prison Massacre

A camp warden and guards shot dead seven prisoners being held at the Anguilla Prison in Georgia. The Anguilla Prison Massacre Quilt Project tells that story, drawing on records from the NAACP.

Niagara Movement Founders, 1905. Top row (left to right): H. A. Thompson, Alonzo F. Herndon, John Hope, James R. L. Diggs (?). Second row (left to right): Frederick McGhee, Norris B. Herndon (boy), J. Max Barber, W. E. B. Du Bois, Robert Bonner. Bottom row (left to right): Henry L. Bailey, Clement G. Morgan, W. H. H. Hart, B. S. Smith. Reproduction. Detail.

July 11, 1905: The Niagara Movement

The Niagara Movement was formed.

July 11, 1892: Coeur d’Alene Idaho Miners Strike

Miners in Coeur d'Alene held a strike and took on the Pinkertons.

July 10, 1985: Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior

Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior was bombed by two French agents and Dutch photographer Fernando Pereira was killed.

Shirley Chisholm '72 | Zinn Education Project

July 10, 1972: Shirley Chisholm at Democratic National Convention

Shirley Chisholm was an historic candidate at the Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach. Chisholm was outspoken on behalf of civil rights legislation, the Equal Rights Amendment, and a minimum family income; she opposed wiretapping, domestic spying, and the Vietnam War.

Daniel Hoskins with guns | Zinn Education Project

July 10, 1919: Beating of Samuel L. Jones and the Longview Riot

The Longview Riot is one example of white mob violence during the period known as "Red Summer." Photo: Daniel Hoskins at gun repository required by U.S. Marshall to undermine African Americans' ability to engage in self-defense.

July 10, 1902: Nicolás Guillén Born

Nicolás Guillén, Cuban poet of social protest and a leader of the Afro-Cuban movement was born.

July 9, 1868: 14th Amendment Adopted

The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted.

The 1897 Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii.

July 8, 1898: Hawai’i Annexation

Hawai'i was annexed to the U.S. on July 8, 1898.

Hamburg Massacre Marker | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

July 8, 1876: Hamburg Massacre

A Black militia was accused of blocking a road and punished with the Hamburg Massacre. This was Reconstruction era voter suppression.

Edna Griffin served in the Women’s Army Corps at Fort Des Moines during WWII.

July 7, 1948: Katz Drug Store Denies Service to Edna Griffin

When WWII veteran Edna Griffin was denied service at a Des Moines drug store, she took the company to court and the lawsuit became a test case.

July 7, 1903: March of the Mill Children

Mary Harris "Mother" Jones began the "March of the Mill Children."

Here is a synopsis of South Carolina testimonies at the hearings in July, 1871.

July 7, 1871: Testimony at Klan Hearings by Elias Thomson

Elias Thomson, an African American who lived in Spartanburg, South Carolina, bravely shared testimony detailing violence inflicted against him because he voted for the Republican ticket in the local election.

Philando Castile by Pollen | Zinn Education Project

July 6, 2016: Philando Castile is Killed by Police

Philando Castile, an African American, was shot to death by a police officer at a traffic stop. Castile had worked as a nutritional supervisor at an elementary school.

Jackie Robinson | Zinn Education Project

July 6, 1944: Lieutenant Jackie Robinson Refuses to Give Up Seat on Bus

While stationed at Camp Hood in Texas, Lieutenant Jackie Robinson refused to give up his seat on the bus and was court-martialed.

July 6, 1892: Homestead Strike

Spies from the Pinkerton Detective Agency and striking steelworkers engaged in a major battle as part of the Homestead Strike.

July 5, 1935: National Labor Relations Act Passed

The National Labor Relations Act was signed into law.

Hell in a Very Small Space | Zinn Education Project

July 4, 1976: Marion Prisoners Stage Bicentennial Hunger Strike

Inmates at United States Penitentiary (USP) Marion staged a hunger strike on the U.S. bicentennial in protest of inhumane treatment by the prison administration.

July 4, 1965: First Annual Reminder Demonstration for Gay and Lesbian Rights

On July 4, 1965, gay and lesbian activists on the east coast protested in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia to demand equitable treatment and respect.

July 4, 1963: Hundreds Non-Violently Protest Gwynn Oak Amusement Park’s Segregation Policy

Hundreds of civil rights demonstrators amassed on Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Baltimore, Maryland, to protest the park’s segregation policy.

July 4, 1963: Clyde Kennard Died

Clyde Kennard (June 12, 1927–July 4, 1963) bravely and righteously tried to pursue higher education in Mississippi. He faced the fatal wrath of the state as a result of his efforts to challenge white supremacy.

July 4, 1917: Hubert Harrison Urges Armed Self-Defense at Harlem Rally

Hubert Harrison urges armed self-defense at Harlem protest rally in the wake of two white supremacist pogroms against African Americans in East St. Louis.

Jack Johnson fighting Jim Jeffries, Reno, 1910. Source: Nevada Historical Society.

July 4, 1910: Jack Johnson Defeats James J. Jeffries

African American heavyweight champion Jack Johnson successfully defended his title by knocking out James J. Jeffries, who had come out of retirement "to win back the title for the White race" in Reno, Nevada.

People’s History of Fourth of July: Beyond 1776 - On July 4, 1876, suffragists crash the Centennial Celebration at Independence Hall to present the “Declaration of the Rights of Women” | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

July 4, 1876: Suffragists Crash Centennial Celebration at Independence Hall

Members of the National Woman Suffrage Association crashed the Centennial Celebration at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to present the “Declaration of the Rights of Women.”

Bisbee Arizona 1919 (photo) | Zinn Education Project

July 3, 1919: The Battle of Brewery Gulch

A battle between Black soldiers and the local white law enforcement who targeted them in Bisbee, Arizona during Red Summer.

July 3, 1835: Paterson Silkworkers Strike

In Paterson, New Jersey, 2,000 workers went on strike from 20 textile mills.

The Court Scene 005 | Zinn Education Project

July 2, 1839: The Amistad Mutiny

Africans on the Cuban schooner Amistad rose up against their captors, seizing control of the ship, which had been transporting them to chattel slavery.

July 2, 1777: Vermont Officially Abolished Slavery

Vermont officially abolished slavery in its constitution.

Drawing by an elementary school student for the cover of the Lincoln Collective’s recruitment pamphlet.

July 1, 1970: The Lincoln Pediatric Collective Forms to Serve Bronx Community

Over three dozen young doctors bucked prestige and embraced justice in the summer of 1970 when they began work at Lincoln Hospital, a run-down, underfunded public hospital in the South Bronx that also the site of an occupation by the Young Lords.

July1 New Orleans Street car | Zinn Education Project

July 1, 1929: Streetcar Workers Strike in New Orleans

More than 1,000 streetcar workers went on strike in New Orleans.

Fort Hood Three Press Conference | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

June 30, 1966: Fort Hood Three Release Public Statement on Vietnam Refusal

The Fort Hood Three issued a public statement about their refusal to be sent to Vietnam.

June 30, 1966: Virginia Censorship Board Ceases Operations

The Virginia Division of Motion Picture Censorship, which racists used to promulgate white supremacy and negative stereotypes of African Americans since 1922, ceased operations.

Portrait of Edward Alexander Bouchet graduating from Yale College, class of 1874.

June 29, 1876: Physicist Edward A. Bouchet Receives Doctorate

Edward Alexander Bouchet graduated from Yale University as the sixth person to receive a Ph.D. in physics in the United States.

June 29, 1820: The Antelope Ship Arrived in Savannah

281 Africans aboard the Antelope ship were brought to Savannah by the U.S. Treasury.

June 28, 1969: Stonewall Riots

The Stonewall Riots occurred when police arrived at the Stonewall Inn to arrest any individuals found to be cross-dressing. This was a milestone in a long history of LGBTQ+ activism.

June 27, 2015: Bree Newsome Removes Confederate Flag

While politicians debated the implications of taking down the Confederate flag after the white supremacist murder of nine African Americans at Emmanuel AME Church, Bree Newsome scaled the South Carolina state flag pole and took the flag down.

June 27, 1954: Elected Guatemalan Leader Overthrown in CIA-Backed Coup

Democratically elected Guatemalan president Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán was deposed in a CIA-sponsored coup.

June 27, 1880: Helen Keller Born

Helen Keller worked throughout her long life to achieve social justice.

June 26, 1959: Prince Edward County Closes Public Schools

Rather than desegregate, the Prince Edward County, Virginia Board of Supervisors refused to appropriate money from the County School Board to the public schools.

June 25, 2002: Tamir Rice Born

Tamir Rice was born on June 25, 2002.

Newspaper clipping of the Wayland Town Crier for June 1954. Headline reads: “Public Hearing on Hale is Scheduled for June 8; School Committee Makes Charges.”

June 25, 1954: Elementary School Teacher Fired in Red Scare

At the height of the anti-Communist Red Scare, Massachusetts second-grade teacher Anne P. Hale Jr. was removed from her position because of her prior membership in the Communist Party and her lack of “perception, understanding, and judgment necessary in one who is to be entrusted with the responsibility for teaching the children of the Town.”

Marker stone at the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Montana.

June 25, 1876: Battle of the Greasy Grass (Battle of Little Big Horn)

Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho defended their land in the battle of the Greasy Grass (Battle of Little Big Horn).

June 24, 1980: General Strike in El Salvador Against Death Squads

A general strike was held in El Salvador against death squads.

June 24, 1973: UpStairs Lounge Massacre

The largest LGBTQ massacre in U.S. history (until the Orlando Massacre) occurred at the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans.

June 23, 1988: James Hansen Testified to Congress About Climate Change

NASA scientist James Hansen testified to Congress stating the greenhouse effect had been detected.

June 23, 1968: The Poor People’s Campaign Ended

The permit for the Poor People's Campaign expired, ending the month long encampment.

GI Bill Denied LOC | Zinn Education Project

June 22, 1944: GI Bill Signed

President Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act (USA), known as the GI Bill, to provide financial aid to veterans returning from WW II. White supremacy prevented equal access to those benefits.

Missing persons poster created by the FBI in 1964, shows the photographs of Goodman, Chaney, and Schwerner.

June 21, 1964: Three Civil Rights Workers Murdered in Mississippi

James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman were tortured and murdered by the KKK in Neshoba County, Mississippi.

A Wichita Beacon article lists the ground rules for the game.

June 21, 1925: Black Baseball Team Beats Klan Players

The Wichita Monrovians bested a squad fielded by the white-supremacist Ku Klux Klan terrorist organization at the height of Jim Crow apartheid.

Southern Homestead Act | Zinn Education Project

June 21, 1866: Southern Homestead Act

The Southern Homestead Act of 1866 was signed.

Muhammad Ali June20 | Zinn Education Project

June 20, 1967: Muhammad Ali Convicted for Refusing the Vietnam Draft

Muhammad Ali was convicted for refusing induction in the U.S. armed forces.

June 19, 1982: Vincent Chin Beaten to Death in Hate Crime

In Detroit, Michigan, Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, was beaten to death in a hate crime by two white auto workers who blamed Chin for the massive lay-offs occurring in the auto industry. The judge gave the murderers three year's probation.

June 19, 1865: “Juneteenth” Emancipation Day

Juneteenth — June 19th, also known as Emancipation Day — Juneteenth — is one of the many commemorations of people seizing their freedom in the United States.

June 18, 1964: St. Augustine Swim-In

Black and white protesters attempted to desegregate a pool in St. Augustine, Florida. The owner dumped acid into the protester-filled pool in an attempt to force them to leave. Police officers eventually dragged protesters out of the pool and took them to jail.

June 17, 2015: Charleston Church Massacre

Nine African American churchgoers were gunned down inside a church in an act of white supremacist terrorism.

Side entrance to the Governor’s mansion on Capital Street in Jackson on June 17, 1965.

June 17, 1965: Protest for Voting Rights in Jackson, Mississippi

Five-year-old Anthony Quinn and his mother and siblings protested against the election of five Mississippi Congressmen from districts where Black people were not allowed to vote. Refused admittance, they sat on the steps and police instigated mayhem ensued.

South Africa anti-apartheid Youth Day poster

June 16, 1976: Soweto Uprising

High school student-led protests in South Africa that began in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools.

June 16, 1918: Eugene V. Debs Speech Against WWI

Eugene V. Debs made his famous anti-war speech protesting World War I which was raging in Europe.

June 15, 1955: Protest of Nuclear Attack Drills

When the Civil Defense Administration attempted to hold a drill simulating a nuclear attack, 27 activists in New York refused to take cover. They handed out pamphlets reading: "We will not obey this order to pretend, to evacuate, to hide... We refuse to cooperate."

June 14, 2001: U.S. Ends Bombing Exercises in Puerto Rico

The United States announced the end to its bombing exercises in Vieques, Puerto Rico after decades of protests from activists.

June 14, 1943: Supreme Court Finds Compulsory Flag Salutes Unconstitutional

On Flag Day 1943, the Supreme Court invalidated a compulsory flag salute law in public schools and established that students possess some level of First Amendment rights.

June 13, 1866: 14th Amendment Passed

The 14th Amendment to the constitution was passed, granting citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States."

June 12, 1967: Loving Day

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Mildred and Richard Loving in the historic Loving v. Virginia case.

June 12, 1963: Medgar Evers Murdered in Mississippi

Medgar Evers, WWII veteran and civil rights activist, was murdered by a white supremacist in Jackson, Mississippi.

June 12, 1956: Paul Robeson Testifies Before HUAC

Paul Robeson testified before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, where he was questioned about his political speech, associations, and party affiliation.

June 12, 1937: Oliver Law Became Brigade Commander

Oliver Law became first Black commander of a U.S. army.

June 11, 2002: African American Residents in Louisiana Win Their Fight Against Shell Oil

African Ameican residents of Diamond, Louisiana won their relocation fight with Shell Oil.

June 11, 1965: Chicago School Boycott

More than 100,000 students stayed out of school to protest inequality and segregation in Chicago.

The closing words of the Port Huron Statement, the founding document of the Students for a Democratic Society, which met June 11-15 in Port Huron, Michigan.

June 11, 1962: Students for a Democratic Society Issue Port Huron Statement

Students for a Democratic Society held its founding convention in Michigan and issued the Port Huron Statement.

June 10, 2018: Ancestral Land Returned to Ponca Tribe

Along the “Trail of Tears” in Neligh, Nebraska, a farmer signed a deed to return ancestral land to the Ponca Tribe. In 1877, the Ponca Nation was forced by the federal government to leave their home of Nishu’de ke (also known as Missouri) to relocate 600 miles south into present-day Oklahoma.

June 10, 1966: Ben Chester White Murdered

Ben Chester White, caretaker on a farm, was brutally murdered by the Klan in Natchez, Mississippi.

June 9, 1954: Joseph Welch Confronts Sen. Joseph McCarthy

Joseph N. Welch confronted Sen. Joseph McCarthy about allegations of communists in the U.S. Army.

June 9, 1952: Fred Ross Pitched Political Activism to Cesar Chavez

Fred Ross knocked on the door of Cesar Chavez.

June 8, 1961: Freedom Riders Arrested

Freedom Riders traveling from New Orleans to Jackson were arrested in 1961.

June 7, 1892: Homer Plessy Arrested for Violating Louisiana’s Separate Car Act

Homer Plessy was arrested for violating Louisiana's Separate Car Act.

James Meredith and Stokely Carmichael. Photo by Bob Fitch.

June 6, 1966: James Meredith and the March Against Fear

Air Force veteran James Meredith began the March Against Fear from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi.

June 6, 1730: Revolt on the Little George

Approximately ninety-six Africans held captive on the British slave ship Little George revolted against the ship’s captain and crew, eventually taking control of the entire ship.

ACT UP New York Activists | Zinn Education Project

June 5, 1981: AIDS Epidemic Recognized by Medical Community

The CDC published a medical study about five gay men, plagued by a mysterious autoimmune disease (AIDS), in June 1981.

June 5, 1950: The Supreme Court and School Segregation Cases

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in three cases that weakened the structure of legalized segregation.

May 25 Norfolk Voters | Zinn Education Project

June 5, 1865: Norfolk’s Black Community Presents Address for Equal Rights

The Colored Monitor Union Club organized and released their address for equal rights in Norkfolk, Virginia, soon after the Civil War ended.

June 4, 2010: Haitian Farmers Burn “Gift” of Monsanto Seeds

Approximately 10,000 Haitian farmers protested the donation of 475 tons of Monsanto hybrid seeds.

June 4, 1967: Muhammed Ali Summit

African American athletes gathered to support Muhammed Ali's refusal to serve in Vietnam.

June 4, 1919: Congress Passes 19th Amendment and Sends to States for Ratification

The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by Congress.

June 3, 1946: Morgan v. Commonwealth of Virginia

SCOTUS ruled against Jim Crow segregation on interstate commerce in Morgan v. Commonwealth of Virginia, leading to Journey of Reconciliation Freedom Rides.

June 3, 1943: The Zoot Suit Riots

Racism led to the "zoot suit riots," during which white U.S. servicemen and police entered a majority-Mexican American neighborhood in East Los Angeles where they attacked and detained hundreds of young people.

June 2, 1863: Harriet Tubman Frees Nearly 800 People

Harriet Tubman planned and guided a significant armed raid (becoming the first woman to do so in the Civil War) against Confederate forces, supply depots, and plantations along the Combahee River in coastal South Carolina.

June 1, 1968: Founding of Drum and Spear Bookstore

First opened in 1968, Drum and Spear was the first endeavor of the Afro-American Resources, Inc. founded by SNCC organizers Charlie Cobb, Courtland Cox, and others. The bookstore quickly became a central hub of knowledge to “disseminate information by and about Black people in the African Diaspora.”

Vietnam Veterans Against the War | ZInn Education Project

June 1, 1967: Vietnam Veterans Against the War Founded

The Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) was founded in New York.

May 31, 1921: Tulsa Massacre

In what became known as the Tulsa Massacre, white supremacists destroyed a thriving Black community in Oklahoma. This is one of countless white supremacist massacres in U.S. history.

May 30, 1942: Fred Korematsu Arrested

Fred Korematsu was arrested on a street corner in San Leandro, California for resisting Executive Order 9066, in which all people of Japanese descent were incarcerated in U.S. concentration camps.

May 30, 1937: Memorial Day Massacre

On Memorial Day, Chicago Police Department shot and killed ten unarmed demonstrators in Chicago.

May 30: Memorial Day

Learn about the people's history of Decoration Day (Memorial Day).

May 29 Disney Strike | Zinn Education Project

May 29, 1941: Disney Animators’ Strike

Disney animators went on strike.

May 28, 1963: Woolworth Sit-in in Jackson, Mississippi

A group of college students and professor held a sit-in at the Woolworths in Jackson, Mississippi.

Leaflet advertising African Liberation Day on May 27 starting at 11:00 AM at Malcolm X Park in Northwest Washington, D.C. A march is planned with stops at the Portuguese Embassy, Rhodesian Information Office, South African Embassy, and the U.S. State Department, on the way to Sylvan Theater on the grounds of the Washington Monument.

May 27, 1972: First African Liberation Day Demonstration on the National Mall

The first African Liberation Day was held on May 27, 1972, and drew some 60,000 demonstrators in cities across the U.S. and Canada, including one on the National Mall in Washington D. C.

May 27, 1958: Ernest Green Graduates from Little Rock

Ernest Green became the first African-American to graduate from Little Rock Central High School in 1958.

May 27, 1954: “Black Monday” Speech Incites White Supremacy

Future Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Tom P. Brady delivered a defiant speech called “Black Monday” in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, inspiring many white leaders to join the White Citizens’ Council.

May 26, 1956: Tallahassee Bus Boycott Sparked by Students’ Protest

Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson sparked a city-wide boycott in Tallahassee when they were arrested for refusing to move from the whites-only seats of a segregated bus.

May 26, 1937: Battle of the Overpass

The Battle of the Overpass occurred when union members were beaten by Ford Motor Co. reps for distributing leaflets.

Pequot Massacre | Zinn Education Project

May 26, 1637: Pequot Massacre

Hundreds of Pequot villagers were massacred by the Puritans in Mystic, Connecticut.

May 25, 1934: Minneapolis Teamsters Strike

The Minneapolis Teamsters Strike of 1934 reached a settlement with union recognition and reinstatement for all fired workers.

May 25, 1865: Black Virginians Cast Freedom Ballots

On election day in Norfolk, African Americans tested their right to vote and when denied, cast their own "freedom ballots."

Flowers, toys, and other objects are seen at a memorial for the victims of the deadliest mass shooting in nearly a decade resulting in the death of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, May 29, 2022.

May 24, 2022: Uvalde School Shooting

Nineteen children and two teachers were shot dead at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

May 24, 1990: Judi Bari’s Car Bombed

Earthfirst! activist Judi Bari's car was blown up by a bomb in Oakland, California.

Henry Dumas, just days before his death, by Clem Fiori.

May 23, 1968: Acclaimed Writer Henry Dumas Fatally Shot by Police

Henry Dumas, a critically acclaimed author, was fatally shot by the New York Transit police.

May 23, 1914: Indian Migrants on the Komagata Maru Denied Entry Into Canada

Nearly 400 South Asian immigrants — many of whom were Sikh — steamed into Vancouver's harbor on the Japanese ship Komagata Maru in search of a new home, but were blocked from docking and disembarking due to racist immigration policies.

Elizabeth "Betsy" Brown Stephens, a Cherokee woman who walked the Trail of Tears.

May 23, 1838: The Trail of Tears Began

The forcible removal of Native American tribes, the Trail of Tears, began.

May 22: International Day for Biological Diversity

The United Nations proclaimed May 22 the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.

May 22, 1843: “Great Emigration” of the Oregon Trail

The "Great Emigration" of the Oregon Trail began and thousands of Native Americans were displaced.

May 21, 1881: Blanche K. Bruce Became Register of the Treasury

Blanche K. Bruce became Register of the Treasury, which placed his name on all U.S. currency.

A sign near the Liberty Bell tells the story of Ona Judge. Independence Historical Park, Philadelphia.

May 21, 1796: Ona Judge Escapes Enslavement by President George Washington

Ona Judge escaped enslavement by U.S. President George Washington.

May 20, 1963: Medgar Evers Speech on WLBT

Medgar Evers made a 17-minute speech on WLBT in a rare and historic exception to the white supremacist only voice on Mississippi radio and television.

May 20, 1943: The Battle of Attu

The Battle of Attu was fought between U.S. and Japanese forces and Attu villagers were taken as prisoners of war.

Peter Yew/Police Brutality Protests, 1975 | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

May 19, 1975: Peter Yew/Police Brutality Protests

Virtually every shop and factory in Chinatown was closed, with signs posted windows and on doors reading “Closed to Protest Police Brutality" to protest the beating of Peter Yew.

May 19, 1972: First Malcolm X Day Celebration in D.C.

In a personal essay about the longest-running, largest annual event to celebrate the legacy of Malcolm X, Charles Stephenson describes the celebration's founding and impact of that day in history.

May 19, 1930: Lorraine Hansberry Born

Lorraine Hansberry was an author and activist who wrote "A Raisin in the Sun."

Portrait of Yuri Kochiyama with raised fist.

May 19, 1921: Yuri Kochiyama Born

Political activist Yuri Kochiyama was born in San Pedro, California.

May 19, 1918: Mary Turner Lynching

Mary Turner, a young African American woman who was eight months pregnant, was lynched in Lowndes County, Georgia.

May 19, 1856: Charles Sumner Crime Against Kansas Speech

Charles Sumner delivered a speech denouncing slavery and the need for Kansas to become a free state.

May 18, 1896: Plessy v. Ferguson Ruling

Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities.

May 17, 1968: Catonsville Nine Burn Draft Records

Nine people entered the Selective Service Offices to remove and burn draft records in protest of the Vietnam War.

Spottswood Thomas Bolling Jr. and his mother Mrs. Sarah Bolling of the Bolling v. Sharpe school desegregation case, decided on the same day as Brown v. Board. Image: © The Washington Post by permission from the Washingtoniana Division.

May 17, 1954: Brown v. Board Ruling

After decades of organizing and strategic efforts by parents, teachers, lawyers, and more — the U.S. Supreme Court issued the unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education on school segregation.

May 16, 1918: The Sedition Act of 1918 Enacted

The Sedition Act of 1918 was enacted to extend the Espionage Act of 1917. It forbade the use of "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the U.S. government.

May 16, 1912: Studs Terkel Born

Studs Terkel was an author, activist, historian, and broadcaster.

May 15, 2010: Kalief Browder Arrested, Held for Three Years with No Trial

Kalief Browder was arrested at the age of 16 for allegedly stealing a backpack weeks before in the Bronx.

May 15, 2005: Howard Zinn Gave Commencement Address at Spelman

Howard Zinn gave the commencement address at Spelman University, at the invitation of President Beverly Daniel Tatum.

May 15, 1970: Jackson State Killings

College student Phillip Lafayette Gibbs (21) and high school student James Earl Green (17) were killed by the police during an anti-war protest at Jackson State College.

May 14, 2022: Buffalo Massacre

After posting a racist manifesto online before targeting a majority-Black neighborhood, a white supremacist killed ten people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.

May 14, 1960: Firehoses Confront Free Speech in S.F. City Hall

Peaceful protesters formed a picket line at the House on Un-American Activities Committee hearings.

May 14, 1913: Longshore Strike in Philadelphia

More than four thousand Philadelphia longshoremen, organized by African American IWW leader Ben Fletcher, went on strike and shut down one of the busiest ports in the United States.

May 13, 1985: Philadelphia Police Bomb MOVE

The Philadelphia Police Department dropped a C-4 bomb on the home of the MOVE organization, killing eleven people (including five children) and wiping out half a city block and .

May 13, 1846: U.S. Congress Approves Declaration of War Against Mexico

U.S. Congress overwhelmingly voted in favor of President James K. Polk's request to declare war on Mexico.

May 12, 1968: The Poor People’s Campaign Began

The Poor People's Campaign was a multiracial effort to gain economic justice for poor people.

portrait of Detroit educator Fannie Richards

May 12, 1869: Detroit Educator Fannie Richards Helps to Desegregate Michigan Schools

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled in favor of school desegregation in the case of Joseph Workman v. the Detroit Board of Education, almost 90 years before the United States’ landmark Brown v. Board of Education.

Pentagon Papers Charges Dismissed | Zinn Education Project

May 11, 1973: Pentagon Papers Charges Dismissed

Judge Byrne in the Pentagon Papers trial dismissed all charges against Daniel Ellsberg and Anthony Russo.

May 11, 1894: Pullman Strike

The American Railway Union led the Pullman Strike.

May 10, 1967: Army Captain Howard Levy Refuses to Train Green Berets During Vietnam War

Army Captain Howard Levy was imprisoned three years for refusing to train U.S. Special Forces soldiers for Vietnam.

Several Killed in Race Riot, El Paso Herald | Zinn Education Project

May 10, 1919: Charleston White Mob Riot

White sailors ignited violent rioting in Charleston, South Carolina during the Red Summer of 1919. African Americans fought back, in self-defense.

May 10, 1886: Lee Yick Wins Equal Protection Under the Law Case

Lee Yick won a Supreme Court case that said that all people — citizens and non-citizens — had equal protection under the law.

May 9, 1968: Ocean Hill-Brownsville Teachers’ Strike of 1968

Teachers went on strike for seven months, against community control, after Black and Puerto Rican parents organized for better schools for their children in New York City.

Helen Keller letter to German students. Click image for source page with transcription.

May 9, 1933: Helen Keller Writes to German Students

Helen Keller wrote a letter to the students who planned on burning all books deemed "un-German."

A confrontation between a policeman wielding a nightstick and a striker during the San Francisco General Strike, 1934.

May 9, 1934: Longshore Strike

Starting in the spring of 1934, longshoremen across every port on the West Coast struck against the unfair hiring tactics that they experienced daily.

Mama's Day (Campaign): Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Mother’s Day: A Campaign for Peace with Justice

Mother's Day began as a call to action for healthcare and against war. Activism continues today with #FreeBlackMamas and more.

May 8, 1959: Mexican American Communities Evicted

Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop were close-knit Mexican American communities that were destroyed in the 1950s to make way for the Dodger Stadium.

May 8, 1858: John Brown and Constitutional Convention

John Brown, Martin Delany, and others gathered for a Constitutional Convention in Chatham, Canada.

May 7, 1955: Murder of Rev. George W. Lee

Rev. George W. Lee, one of the first African Americans registered to vote in Humphreys County since Reconstruction and head of the Belzoni, Mississippi NAACP, was murdered.

May 7, 1954: Viet Minh Victory

The Viet Minh scored their final victory over the French at Dien Bien Phu.

May 6, 1922: Gloria Richardson Born

Civil rights activist Gloria Richardson was born in Baltimore.

May 6, 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act Signed

The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was signed which prohibited Chinese immigration.

May 5, 1905: Chicago Defender Founded

Robert Sengstacke Abbott founded the highly influential newspaper, the Chicago Defender, with the tagline: American Race Prejudice Must Be Destroyed.

May 5: Rethinking Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is actually the Battle of Puebla Day, commemorating the defeat of Napoleon III in 1862.

May 4, 1970: Kent State Massacre

During an anti-war protest at Kent State University, the Ohio National Guard shot unarmed college students at Kent State University, killing four. Students were also killed at Jackson State (May 15, 1970), and Orangeburg (February 8, 1968).

Portrait of 7 of the 8 Haymarket Martyrs.

May 4, 1886: Haymarket Tragedy

A peaceful demonstration in Chicago for the eight-hour day ended in tragedy when the police barge in, and a bomb is thrown and explodes.

May 3, 1919: Pete Seeger Born

Activist folksinger Pete Seeger was born in 1919 in New York.

May 3, 1898: Septima Clark Born

Educator and civil rights organizer Septima Clark was born in South Carolina.

May 2, 1963: Children of Birmingham Fill the Jails

In disciplined groups and singing freedom songs, students “ditch” class to march for justice and fill the jails.

May 1: International Workers Day

International Workers' Day began as a commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket massacre in Chicago.

Scene from the Memphis, Tenn., massacre | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

May 1 – 3, 1866: Memphis Massacre

White civilians and police killed 46 African-Americans and injured many more while burning houses, schools, and churches in Memphis, Tennessee.

April 30, 1967: “Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam” Speech

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made a speech criticizing the Vietnam War and praising Muhammad Ali.

Bristol Bus Boycott | Zinn Education Project

April 30, 1963: Bristol Bus Boycott

The Bristol Bus Boycott began in England, inspired by the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

April 29, 1962: Paulings Protest Nuclear Testing

Nobel Prize-winner Linus Pauling and Ava Helen Pauling joined a march in front of the White House to protest the resumption of U.S. atmospheric nuclear testing.

April 28, 1987: Benjamin Linder Murdered in Nicaragua

Ben Linder, a volunteer U.S. engineer, was killed by the U.S. CIA funded Contras.

April 28, 1977: Disability Rights Sit-Ins Force Enactment of Section 504

Between April 5 and April 28, 1977, hundreds of disabled and handicapped activists organized, protested, and occupied government buildings around the country to pressure the U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Joseph Califano, to enact Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and publish regulations to guide its enforcement.

April 27, 1860: Harriet Tubman Helped Rescue Charles Nalle

Harriet Tubman helped to rescue Charles Nalle, a fugitive from slavery in Virginia, in Troy, New York.

Apr. 26, 1968: Kiyoshi Kuromiya Led Protest of Vietnam War Napalm

Lifelong gay rights and anti-war activist Kiyoshi Kuromiya held a demonstration while in college against the use of napalm in Vietnam by announcing that a dog would be burned alive with napalm in front of the university library.

Bombing of Guernica | Zinn Education Project

April 26, 1937: The Bombing of Guernica

During the Spanish Civil War, the Nazis tested their new air force on the Basque town of Guernica in northern Spain.

April 25, 1846: U.S. Mexico War Begins

Today’s border with Mexico is the product of invasion and war. Grasping some of the motives for that war and some of its immediate effects begins to provide students the kind of historical context that is crucial for thinking about the line that separates the United States and Mexico.

April 24, 1971: Anti-War Protests in D.C. and San Francisco

500,000 people demonstrated against the Vietnam War in Washington, D.C.