#OTD Blues singer Ma Rainey was born in Columbus, GA. Actor Dante Brown narrates.

#OTD Boxer Joe Frazier successfully defended his heavyweight title against Dave Zyglewicz in a first round knockout.

Theophilus Thompson, the first documented African American chess expert recognized in the United States, was born in Frederick, MD

#OTD Today we remember Warren Q. Marr II, a leading advocate for the preservation of African American history and culture on the 11th anniversary of his death.

#OTD Cora Brown, the first African American female elected to a state senate seat in the United States, was born in Bessemer, Alabama. Recording artist Vivian Green narrates.

Today we celebrate DC Emancipation Day to commemorate the day the nation's capital abolished slavery, several months before the federal government followed suit.

#OTD The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was organized.

#OTD Tiger Woods won the first of his five green jackets at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Actor Alano Miller narrates.

#OTD Richard Allen and Absalom Jones established the Free African Society, an organization that provided fellowship, a place of worship and monetary support to free Africans and their families in cases of sickness and death. Recording artist Kwamé narrates.

#OTD The Civil Rights Act of 1866, a federal law that affirmed that all citizens are equally protected by law, was enacted by the 39th United States Congress.