In 1842 Charles Lenox Remond became one of the first African Americans to give testimony before a state legislature when he addressed a committee of the Massachusetts House of Representatives investigating discrimination in public transportation. Here Remond contrasted the absence of discrimination in his travels in Europe with his rude treatment on public transportation in and around Boston.

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, located near Cheyney, Pennsylvania, was founded on February 25, 1837, making it the oldest predominantly African American institution of higher education in the United States. It was originally known as the African Institute was renamed the Institute of Colored Youth in 1852.

Hiram Rhodes Revels took oath as the first African-American to serve in the senate on Feb. 25, 1870. He represented the state of Mississippi.

Feb 25, 1948 , Martin Luther King ordained as a Baptist minister

Feb 25, 1964, Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston for world heavyweight boxing championship.

– On this day in 1975, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad died.

1989- Boxer Mike Tyson became the Heavyweight Champion of the World by defeating challenger Frank Bruno of England.

Black History Birthdays

Olympic Gold Medalist Donald Quarrie was born on this day, February 25, 1951 in Kingston, Jamaica. He’s one of the top sprinters in the world in his day

1968 – Oumou Sangaré, Grammy Award-winning Malian Wassoulou musician

On February 25, 1976, Rashida Jones, now 44, was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest daughter of media mogul Quincy Jones and his former wife, actress Peggy Lipton.

Also on this day in history…

1836 – Samuel Colt is granted a United States patent for the Colt revolver.

1866 – Miners in Calaveras County, California, discover what is now called the Calaveras Skull – human remains that supposedly indicated that man, mastodons, and elephants had co-existed.

1919 – Oregon places a one cent per U.S. gallon tax on gasoline, becoming the first U.S. state to levy a gasoline tax.

1928 – Charles Jenkins Laboratories of Washington, D.C. becomes the first holder of a broadcast license for television from the Federal Radio Commission.

1986 – People Power Revolution: President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos flees the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the Philippines' first woman president.

1873 – Enrico Caruso, Italian-American tenor (d. 1921)

1881 – William Z. Foster, American union leader and politician (d. 1961)

1888 – John Foster Dulles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 52nd United States Secretary of State (d. 1959)

1894 – Meher Baba, Indian spiritual master (d. 1969)

1901 – Zeppo Marx, American comedian and agent (d. 1979)

1910 – Millicent Fenwick, American journalist and politician (d. 1992)

1913 – Jim Backus, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1989)

1917 – Anthony Burgess, English author, playwright, and critic (d. 1993)

1918 – Bobby Riggs, American tennis player (d. 1995)

1920 – Sun Myung Moon, Messiah II, Korean religious leader, founded the Unification Church (d. 2012)

1927 – Ralph Stanley, American singer and banjo player (d. 2016)

1928 – Larry Gelbart, American author and screenwriter (d. 2009)

1932 – Faron Young, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)

1935 – Sally Jessy Raphael, American journalist and talk show host

1943 – George Harrison, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2001)

1946 – Pete Wernick, American banjo player

1954 – John Doe, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor

1975 – Chelsea Handler, American comedian, author, and talk show host

Joe Burke, who once sat in this chair as KALW’s local Morning Edition host for so many years, is a singer and guitarist of the music group, the Yerba Buena Orchestra. The YBO is giving a show this week, tomorrow, Wednesday, the 26^th, starting at 8pm, at the Iron Springs Pub And Brewery, 765 Center Blvd. in Fairfax. No cover charge, the show is free.

Almanac - Tuesday 2/25/20

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