#OTD Poet and activist Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, TN.

#OTD Activist Angela Davis was acquitted of three capital felonies in connection with an armed takeover of a courtroom in Marin County, CA.

#OTD Recording artist and producer Curtis Mayfield was born in Chicago, IL.

#OTD The 99th Pursuit Squadron, the first black flying squadron, flew its first combat mission.

#OTD Activist Sojourner Truth began devoting her life to women's rights and the abolition of slavery

#OTD Anthony Burns, an escaped slave whose capture under the Fugitive Slave Act led to protests in Boston, was born in Stafford County, VA

#OTD Willie Mays tallied his first career hit in Major League Baseball, a home run, three days after his debut with the New York Giants

#OTD Doris Miller was awarded a Navy Cross for his heroic actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was the first African American to receive that honor.

#OTD Tennis player Althea Gibson became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title with her victory at the French Championships

#OTD Entertainer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was born in Richmond, Virginia