In recognition of Black History Month, we’ve put together a timeline of selected “first achievers” in U.S. history. To see a more comprehensive list, go to infoplease.com
Poet (published): Phillis Wheatley, 1773, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Considered the founder of African-American literature. Photo: poets.org
College graduate (B.A.): Male: Alexander Lucius Twilight, 1823, Middlebury College. Female: Mary Jane Patterson, 1862, Oberlin College. photo: blackpast.org
State elected official: Alexander Lucius Twilight, 1836, the Vermont legislature. Photo: OldStonehouseMuseum.org
M.D. degree: Male: James McCune Smith (photo: nyhistory.org), 1837, University of Glasgow; Female: Rebecca Lee Crumpler, 1864, New England Female Medical College (photo: rampages.us).
Medal of Honor winner: Sargent William H. Carney for bravery during the Civil War, received in 1900. Photo: army.mil
Olympic medalist (Summer games): George Poage, 1904, bronze in 200 m hurdles and 400 m hurdles. Photo Missouri History museum/lacrossetribune.com
Licensed Pilot: Bessie Coleman, 1921. Photo: prezi.com
Oscar: Hattie McDaniel, 1940, supporting actress, Gone with the Wind. Photo: forgottenfortcollins.com
Nobel Peace Prize: Ralph J. Bunche, 1950, for mediating an Arab-Israeli truce. (photo: wikipedia.org). Martin Luther King, Jr. became the second African-American Peace Prize winner in 1964 (photo: nobelprize.org)
U.S. Supreme Court Justice: Thurgood Marshall, 1967–1991. Photo: aarp.org
Astronaut in space: Guion Bluford, 1983. Photo: nasa.gov
Nobel Prize for Literature: Toni Morrison, 1993. Photo: pbs.org
U.S. President: Barack Obama, 2009-2017. Photo: msnbc.com
