NASA astronaut Bernard Harris becomes the first African American to perform a spacewalk on this date.

130 years after the rest of the country, Mississippi ratifies the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished slavery.

New York Times cultural critic Margo Jefferson wins the1991"> Pulitzer Prize for her criticism on this date. Jefferson is a book reviewer and theatre critic for the New York Times.

Angelique Walker-Smith receives her Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Composer1991"> Regina Harris Baiocchi's opera Good News Falls Gently is staged in Rome, Italy at the Festival Incontri Musicali.

Dr. Shirley Jackson took over as chairperson of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on this date. President1991"> Bill Clinton appointed her to this position on May 2, 1995. Jackson was also the first Black woman to receive a doctorate from M.I.T.

Former pro football star O.J. Simpson was found not quilty by a jury of his peers on this date in Los Angeles, California. Simpson was accused of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Public opinion of the decision was racially divided. Television cameras captured White and Black people's reactions to the verdict. Many Whites were outraged, while many Blacks celebrated the decision.

Chicago State University renames its Chicago State University Physical Education and Athletics Building the Jacoby D. Dickens Physical Education and Athletics Center in honor of the Chicago businessman and benefactor.

Organized by Louis Farrakhan, this event brings together hundreds of thousands of African Americans on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for a day of unity and a show of strength of character. Despite the name, women are present both in the crowd and on the podium, including civil rights pioneer1991"> Rosa Parks.

Joseph H. Holt, Sr. died on this date in Raleigh, North Carolina. Holt and his family were the first to take legal action to integrate Raleigh, North Carolina's public schools.

Blues legend1991"> B.B. King and stage and screen actor Sydney Poitier were honored for their lifetime achievement in their respective entertainment fields at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on this date.

Jesse Jackson, Jr. is sworn in to the House of Representatives.