Garrett Morgan uses the gas mask that he invented to rescue 32 men trapped in an underground tunnel during an explosion.

Sociologist Charles S. Johnson is born.

Actor Ira Frederick Aldridge is born.

Jazz musician Steve Lacy is born.

Suzette Charles becomes the second black woman to be named “Miss America.”

The Pan-African Congress meets for the first time in London.

Dr. Louis Tompkins Wright, a widely known surgeon and noted expert on head injuries, is born.

Elijah Jerry “Pumpsie” becomes the first black to play for the Boston Red Sox.

Actor Danny Glover is born.

Caterina Jarboro is the first black to perform with an American opera company.