1800s
1859 — Harriet E. Wilson's Our Nig
The first novel by an African American woman is published anonymously. It goes largely unnoticed and is lost for over a century.
1864 — Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler
Becomes the first African American woman to earn a medical degree (MD). Her legacy is largely forgotten until the 21st century.
1867 — Edmonia Lewis's Forever Free
The African American and Native American sculptor crafts one of the first works of art celebrating Black emancipation in Rome. She later dies in obscurity.
1882 — Lewis Latimer's Filament
Patents the carbon filament, making the incandescent light bulb practical and affordable for mass use.
1892 — Sarah Boone's Patent
Patents an improved ironing board, one of the first African American women to receive a patent for a household invention.
1887 — Granville Woods's Telegraph
Patents the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, preventing train collisions and revolutionizing rail safety.
Early 1900s
1905 — Alonzo Herndon's Success
Former slave Alonzo Herndon founds what becomes Atlanta Life Insurance, building Black economic resilience.
1921 — Bessie Coleman's License
Forces to train in France, Coleman becomes the first Black and Native American female pilot.
1916 — Alice Augusta Ball's Stolen Cure
Ball created the first effective injectable leprosy treatment. Following her death, her work is misattributed (to incorrectly indicate the cause, origin, or creator of something).
1920s — Harlem Renaissance
The movement grows, but many of its contributors are under-credited or co-opted in mainstream American cultural narratives.
1936 — The Green Book
Victor Green creates a travel guide to help Black drivers traverse segregation safely.
1938 — Mississippi Textbook Survey
A survey discovered that Black individuals are completely erased from school materials, and students are taught a censored history.
Mid–20th Century
1951 — Henrietta Lacks's Cells
Lacks's cancer cells (HeLa line) are harvested without her consent. They revolutionize medicine, but her contribution remains obscure.
1951 — Chemotherapy Pioneer
Dr. Jane Cooke Wright pioneers the use of chemotherapy for solid tumors.
1960 — Zora Neale Hurston Dies
Hurston dies in poverty. Her gravesite is unmarked until rediscovered in the 1970s.
1962 — Katherine Johnson at NASA
Manually verifies orbital calculations for John Glenn's spaceflight, critical to mission success.
1960s–70s — BPP Health Clinics
The Black Panther Party opens free health clinics, providing critical services overlooked by the state.
1976 — Video Game Cartridge
Jerry Lawson invents the interchangeable video game cartridge system.
1980 — Illusion Transmitter
Dr. Valerie Thomas patents a 3D imaging device still used by NASA today.
Modern Era (1980s–Present)
1981 — Dr. Mark Dean & IBM PC
Co-created the ISA bus architecture, which is important to personal computing.
1980s — Our Nig Rediscovery
Harriet E. Wilson’s novel is rediscovered, bringing attention to early Black literary voices.
1993 — Ellen Ochoa in Space
Dr. Ellen Ochoa becomes the first Hispanic woman to go to space.
2020 — Crumpler Memorial
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler’s grave receives a memorial marker, 125 years after her death.
2020s — Modern Book Bans
Hundreds of books by or about Black authors are removed, continuing the trend of erasure.
2022 — "Stop WOKE Act"
Florida legislation restricts teaching about race, sparking a national censorship debate.