Source::ias.org:: Topic- Amazing and Interesting facts about Black History Month

Black
History Month is celebrated annually in the United States, Canada, in the
United Kingdom and in Germany. It is also known as African-American History
Month in the United States. The purpose of Black History Month is to remember
both the important people of African descent and the important events in Black
history. Black History Month began in 1926 as an annual week-long celebration
called Negro History Week, created to encourage education about America’s Black
history. By 1929 it had gained nationwide support. In 1969, leaders of Kent
State University’s Black United Students proposed a month-long celebration,
which took place one year later in February 1970. In 1976 the United States
government officially recognized Black History Month.

• Black
  History Month is celebrated in February in Canada and in the United States.

• Black
  History Month is celebrated in October in the United Kingdom.

• Throughout
  history, many important events in Black history have occurred in February. It
  was chosen as the month to celebrate Black History Month because the Black
  abolitionist and writer Frederick Douglass was born in this month, and so was
  Abraham Lincoln, who played an important role in shaping Black history.

• In
  1619 the first enslaved Africans (20) were brought to the U.S. on a Dutch ship.

• The
  demand for slaves in the U.S. increased in 1793 when Eli Whitney’s new cotton
  gin was introduced.

• In
  1808 Congress banned the importation of slaves.

• In
  1849 Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery. She later helped about 300 other
  slaves gain their freedom by escaping through the Underground Railroad.

• The
  13th Amendment of the United States Constitution was adopted by the 38th
  Congress on February 1st. This amendment abolished slavery. It was approved in
  1865.

• The
  first Negro History Week took place beginning February 7th, 1926. Carter G.
  Woodson was its creator.

• Carter
  G. Woodson, the ‘Father of Black History’, was the son of former slaves Eliza
  and James Woodson. He earned a master’s degree at the University of Chicago and
  a Ph. D from Harvard University.

• The
  first African-American woman to win the Women’s Singles of the U.S. National
  Figure Skating Championship was Debi Thomas in 1986.

• The
  Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed on February 10th, 1964. It made it illegal
  for state or local governments or public facilities to deny access to anyone
  because of ethnic origin or race. It also made segregation in schools illegal
  and subject to law suits.

• On
  February 13th, 1923, the first Black pro-basketball team was organized. It was
  called ‘The Renaissance’.

• On
  February 19th, 2002 Vonetta Flowers won the first Black gold medal in Winter
  Olympic Games’ history. Vonetta and her partner won the (women’s) inaugural
  two-person bobsled event.

• Elston
  Gene Howard, a Black baseball catcher, signed a contract with the NY Yankees
  for $70,000 in 1929. It was the largest contract in history (at the time) in
  baseball history.

• Debi
  Thomas was the first African-American to win a medal at the Winter Olympic
  Games. She won bronze for figure skating in 1988.

• Dr.
  Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. He was one of the most famous
  African-American Civil Rights Movement leaders.

• In
  2009 Barack Obama became the first Black United States President.