Investment manager John Rogers, Jr. is born in Chicago, Illinois.

The Hon. Marc H. Morial is born on this date in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Installation artist, sculptor and professor Johnny Coleman is born in Saugus, Massachusetts.

Bank Chairman 1957">Deborah C. Wright is born.

The United States Embassy to Romania becomes the first to be headed by an African American with the appointment of Clifton W. Wharton, Sr.

Marketing executive Antoinette Malveaux is born in San Francisco, California.

Corporate executive and community leader Lester N. Coney is born on this date in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Judge Judge Stephanie C. Davis is born.

Ernest Green, one of the Little Rock Nine, becomes tbe first African American to graduate from newly integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Civic Leader 1921">Hilary O. Shelton is born.

Reverend Angelique Walker-Smith, minister and journalist, is born in Cleveland, Ohio.

NAACP Youth Council begin lunch counter sit-ins on this date in Oklahoma City.

R&B and pop singer Michael Jackson was born on this date in Gary, Indiana. Jackson started his career performing with his brothers in the Jackson Five. He went solo in 1979 and became one of the most successful solo musical acts in history. His album Thriller has sold more than 26 million copies world-wide. He became known as the King of Pop. Some of his hit songs include Rock With You, Billie Jean, and Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough.

Inventor Frederick M. Jones patented his control device for the internal combustion engine on this date.

Photographer Martha Brock is born on this date in Isola, Mississippi.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was stabbed by Izola Curry on this date in Harlem, New York. King was signing his first book, Stide Toward Freedom at a Harlem bookstore and was stabbed in the chest by Curry, who was later discovered to be mentally ill. King was nearly killed by this stabbing, but recovered.

Dr. Neil de Grasse Tyson was born on this date in Manhattan, New York. Dr. Tyson is now the director of the Hayden Planetarium and a visiting research scientist and lecturer at Princeton University.

Ricardo Patton, college basketball coach, is born in Nashville, Tennessee.

Choreographer and dancer Randy Duncan is born on this date in Chicago, Illinois.