January 31, 1914 Arnold Raymond Cream (Jersey Joe Walcott), Hall of Fame boxer, was born in Merchantville, New Jersey. Walcott made his professional boxing debut in 1930 and in 1951 won the heavyweight championship at the age of 37. At the time, he was the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship. Over his 23 […]
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Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon – January 21st in African American History
January 21, 1963 Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon, Hall of Fame basketball player, was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Olajuwon came to the United States to play basketball for the University of Houston where he had a standout career, including winning the 1983 NCAA Tournament Player of the Year Award.
Josh Gibson – January 20th in African American History
January 20, 1947 Josh Gibson, Hall of Fame Negro League baseball player, died. Gibson was born December 21, 1911 in Buena Vista, Georgia. He made his professional debut with the Homestead Grays, the preeminent Negro League team of that time, in 1930.
Reece “Goose” Tatum – January 18th in African American History
January 18, 1967 Reece “Goose” Tatum, Hall of Fame basketball player, died. Tatum was born May 31, 1921 in El Dorado, Arkansas. In high school, he played baseball, football, and basketball. He played Negro league baseball from 1937 to 1949 and was a co-owner of the Detroit Clowns baseball team in the late 1950s.
Jerome Heartwell “Brud” Holland – January 13th in African American History
January 13, 1985 Jerome Heartwell “Brud” Holland, education administrator and diplomat, died. Holland was born January 9, 1916 in Auburn, New York. He graduated from Cornell University, where he was the first African American to play on the football team and an All-American in 1937, 1938, and 1939. Despite his athletic abilities, the National Football […]
Sam Langford – January 12th in African American History
January 12, 1956 Sam Langford, hall of fame boxer and, according to ESPN, “the greatest fighter nobody knows,” died. Langford was born March 4, 1883 in Weymouth Falls, Nova Scotia, Canada. Although he was only 5 feet 6 ½ inches tall and weighed 185 pounds, Langford fought greats from the lightweight division to the heavyweight […]
Charles L. “Sonny” Liston – January 5th in African American History
January 5, 1971 Charles L. “Sonny” Liston, hall of fame boxer, died. Liston was born May 8, 1932 in Johnson Township, Arkansas. In 1950, he was sentenced to prison for taking part in a robbery and while in prison learned to box. Liston was paroled in 1952 and made his professional boxing debut in 1953. […]