People, Locations, Episodes

Archie Williams, Athlete, Educator, and Engineer, born

Archie Williams was born on this date in 1915. He was an African American athlete and teacher.

Born in Oakland, CA, Williams attended San Mateo Junior College (now College of San Mateo). His coach, Dr. Oliver Byrd, was instrumental in preparing him for future achievements. Soon Williams transferred to the University of California-Berkeley to become a mechanical engineer. He continued to run track.

Lemuel Custis, Military Pilot born.

*Lemuel Custis was born on this date in 1915. He was a Black U.S. Army Air Force officer, combat fighter pilot, Squadron Operations, and police officer. Lemuel Curtis was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, as the only child of Mary C. Goodwin Custis and Charles Custis. Lemuel Rodney Custis attended Hartford’s public schools, graduating from its […]

Edward Toppins, Military Pilot born.

*Edward Toppins was born on this date in 1915. He was a Black U.S. Army Air Force pilot and commanding officer. Edward Lucien Toppins was born in Mississippi to Martha E. Toppins Davis, a dressmaker. He was the only brother of three sisters: Henrietta, Delphine, and Naomi. After living in Louisiana in the 1930s, Toppins […]

American Troops Occupy Haiti

*The United States’ occupation of Haiti began on this date in 1915. This intervention occurred following the murder of dictator President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam by insurgents angered by his political murders of elite opposition.   That day, 330 US Marines landed at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, under the authority of US President Woodrow Wilson. The first invasion […]

Abbie Voorhies, Military Nurse and Officer born

*Abbie Voorhies was born on this date in 1915. She was a Black nurse and military officer. Abbie Edith Voorhies was born in Louisiana and graduated from Kansas City General Hospital Nursing School in Missouri. Her first job was with Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. She said she joined the military after hearing that […]

Alfred Masters, Marine Tech Sgt. born

*Alfred Masters was born on this date in 1916. He was a Black soldier. He was born in Wewoka, Oklahoma, and earned a B.A. in education at Langston University. Masters was one of the first Black members of the American Marine Corps. At his swearing-in on June 1, 1942, in Oklahoma City, he had his […]

Lincoln Hudson, Military Officer born

*Lincoln Hudson was born on this date in 1916. He was a Black U.S. Army Air Force officer, fighter pilot, Prisoner of War in Nazi Germany, and corporate executive. Lincoln T. Hudson was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. He was the son of a Methodist minister who traveled to various congregations in the Southern United States. […]

The No. 2 Construction Battalion is Formed

*On this date in 1916, the No. 2 Construction Battalion was formed. Raised in Nova Scotia, the No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), was one of two predominantly Black battalions in Canadian military history. It was the only Canadian battalion composed of Black soldiers to serve in World War I. With the outbreak […]

Leonard Harmon, WW II Sailor born

*Leonard Harmon was born on this date in 1917. He was an African American sailor who died in action during World War II and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his valor.

Ulric Cross, a British Soldier and Diplomat, was born.

*Ulric Cross was born on this date in 1917. He was a Black British jurist, diplomat, and Royal Air Force (RAF) navigator. Philip Louis Ulric Cross was born in Belmont, Port of Spain, Trinidad, to Reginald Rufus and Maud Iris Cross. He was the second child in a family of nine. At 11, he came […]

Charles Walter David Jr., Naval Sailor born.

*Charles Walter David Jr. was born on this date in 1917. He was a Black sailor. David served as a Steward’s Mate in the United States Coast Guard and died of pneumonia after rescuing other sailors from the frigid North Atlantic. He was assigned to the USCGC Comanche during World War II, where he was […]

The 366th Infantry Regiment is formed

*The 366th Infantry Regiment was created on this date in 1917. This was an all-Black unit of the United States Army that served in World Wars I and II. Officers of this racially segregated Regiment included Lieutenant Cleveland L. Abbott, Captain Joseph L. Lowe, Lieutenant Aaron R. Fisher, and Captain E. White. The 366th Infantry […]

Charles DeBow, Military Pilot and Teacher born.

*Charles DeBow was born on this date in 1918. He was a Black U.S. Army Air Force officer, combat fighter pilot, and teacher. Charles DeBow was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was the son of Charles Henry DeBow of Lebanon, Tennessee, and Anna Sue Horne DeBow of Tennessee. DeBow’s parents moved from Tennessee to Indianapolis […]

Charity Earley, Military Officer born

*This date celebrates the birth of Charity Edna Adams Earley in 1918. A Black soldier and officer from Columbia, South Carolina, she was the oldest of four children of a minister and a teacher.

The Home Guards of Minnesota is Formed

*On this date, 1918, the Minnesota Home Guard was formed. This was formed in St. Paul, Minnesota, in two all-Black Sixteenth Battalion Companies, A and B, and C and D. These Black men, led by Cap Wigington, met at the old state capitol building. Wigington became captain of Company A. Orrington C and gave an address after […]