1939day.year
African-American singer Marian Anderson gives a concert at the Lincoln Memorial after being denied the use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Marian Anderson performs at the Lincoln Memorial after being denied access to Constitution Hall due to racial discrimination.
On April 9, 1939, African-American contralto Marian Anderson delivered a historic concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. She had been barred from performing at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution because of her race. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and others championed a new venue for Anderson’s recital as a protest against segregation. The free concert drew an integrated audience of over 75,000 people and was broadcast nationwide. Anderson’s performance became a powerful symbol in the struggle for civil rights and artistic equality. It showcased her extraordinary talent and helped galvanize support for racial justice. The event is remembered as a landmark moment in American cultural and social history.
1939
Marian Anderson
Lincoln Memorial
Constitution Hall
Daughters of the American Revolution
1946day.year
About 500 postal workers in Tel Aviv and Jaffa went on strike.
Postal employees in Tel Aviv and Jaffa stage a strike for better wages and conditions.
In April 1946, roughly 500 postal workers in the British Mandate cities of Tel Aviv and Jaffa walked off the job to demand higher pay and improved working conditions.
Organized by emerging labor unions, the strike disrupted mail service and highlighted growing tensions under British rule.
The action reflected broader social and political unrest as various communities sought greater rights and representation.
Employers and authorities initially resisted the demands but eventually negotiated concessions to end the work stoppage.
The strike underscored the rising power of organized labor in the region's journey toward statehood.
1946
Tel Aviv
Jaffa
on strike
1947day.year
The Journey of Reconciliation, the first interracial Freedom Ride begins through the upper South in violation of Jim Crow laws. The riders wanted enforcement of the United States Supreme Court's 1946 Irene Morgan decision that banned racial segregation in interstate travel.
Interracial activists launch the Journey of Reconciliation to challenge segregation on interstate buses.
On April 9, 1947, eight white and black activists set out on the Journey of Reconciliation, the precursor to the Freedom Rides of the 1960s.
Organized by the Congress of Racial Equality and the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the group tested compliance with the Supreme Court's Irene Morgan ruling against segregation on interstate travel.
Travelling through Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky, they deliberately sat together on buses to provoke arrests.
Many riders were jailed, beaten, and faced legal penalties, drawing national attention to the injustices of Jim Crow.
Their courage laid the groundwork for the later civil rights movement's efforts to desegregate public transportation.
Journey of Reconciliation
Freedom Ride
South
Jim Crow laws
United States Supreme Court
1946
Irene Morgan
racial segregation
1948day.year
Jorge Eliécer Gaitán's assassination provokes a violent riot in Bogotá (the Bogotazo), and a further ten years of violence in Colombia.
The assassination of Colombian leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán sparks the Bogotazo riots and plunges the country into a decade of violence.
On April 9, 1948, Colombian politician Jorge Eliécer Gaitán was assassinated in Bogotá, triggering the Bogotazo riots. A massive crowd took to the streets in protest, resulting in widespread violence, looting, and destruction of property across the city. The unrest left hundreds dead and thousands injured, and it overwhelmed authorities in the capital. The Bogotazo marked the beginning of La Violencia, a decade-long period of brutal civil conflict that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. This upheaval reshaped Colombia's political landscape, deepening divisions between liberal and conservative factions. It also underscored the volatility of populist leadership and the deep social tensions in mid-20th-century Colombia.
1948
Jorge Eliécer Gaitán
Bogotá
Bogotazo
ten years of violence
Colombia
2017day.year
After refusing to give up his seat on an overbooked United Express flight, Dr. David Dao Duy Anh is forcibly dragged off the flight by aviation security officers, leading to major criticism of United Airlines.
In 2017, Dr. David Dao was forcibly removed from an overbooked United Express flight, sparking global outrage over airline customer treatment.
On April 9, 2017, a United Express flight from Chicago to Louisville became infamous when passenger Dr. David Dao Duy Anh was dragged off the plane by airport security after refusing to give up his seat. Video footage of the incident went viral, showing Dao’s bloody and injured condition. The backlash led to widespread criticism of United Airlines’ overbooking policies and customer service practices. United’s CEO issued a public apology and the airline revised its policies on overbooking and passenger removal. The incident fueled broader discussions about passengers’ rights and corporate accountability in the aviation industry.
United Express
forcibly dragged off
United Airlines