February 25, 2002
1839
Seminoles and their Black allies shipped from Tampa Bay, Florida, to the West.
1870
Hirman R. Revels of Mississippi sworn in as first Black U.S. senator and first Black representative in Congress.
1928
"One-Man Show of Art by Negro, First of Kind Here, Opens Today," read the headline of a front-page article in 'The New York Times' on this day. The article announced the opening of Archibald J. Motley, Jr's show at the New Gallery on Madison Avenue. This was the first time in History that an artist had made the front page of 'The New York Times' and it was the second one-person show by an African-American artist (the first being Henry O. Tanner). African scenes, voodoo dances, and African-Americans at leisure were themes presented by the artist.
1948
Martin Luther King ordained as a Baptist minister.
1964
Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston for world heavyweight boxing championship.
1964
Nat King Cole, the singer with the "Golden Voice", dies.
1971
President Nixon met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and appointed a White House panel to study a list of recommendations made by the group.
1975
Death of Elijah Muhammad (77), leader of the Nation of Islam, in Chicago. He was succeeded by his son, Wallace D. Muhammad.
1978
Death of Daniel ("Chappie") James Jr. (58), retired Air Force general and the first Black promoted to four-star rank, at the Air Force Academy, Colorado.
1987
Edward Daniel Nixon, former president of the Georgia NAACP, died at age 87.
1989
Boxer Mike Tyson becomes the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World by defeating challenger Frank Bruno of England.
1999
White supremacist John King, one of three white men accused of chaining James Byrd to a pickup and dragging him along a Texas road until he was decapitated,
was sentenced to death by lethal injection. If his death penalty is carried out, he will be the first white Texan executed for killing a black person since slavery ended.
