Weekly Black History Trivia

Deanwood Library

Weekly Black History Trivia


?? Who Am I ??
Black Stars African American Inventors1.  I was born on March 17, 1806 in New Orleans, La. I invented a sugar processing evaporator and an improved sugar refining process that safely saved time and money in the making of sugar from sugar beets or sugar cane. I went to France, where I studied engineering. My mother was a former slave and my father was a French man.

2. I was born in Maryland on Nov. 9, 1731. I took apart a pocket watch and put it back together again. I made a clock out of wood and published an almanac. I was also known as "The Sable Astronomer."

3. I am a woman who didn't give up my seat on a bus in Montgomery, Ala., and was thrown in jail. This action of civil disobedience started the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

4. I was born on Jan. 18, 1956 in Hollidaysburg, Pa.  I was the first surgeon to operate successfully on a patient's heart.

5. I was born in Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana in 1852. I moved to the United States when I was eighteen. I developed a shoe lasting machine that would attach the sole to the shoe in one minute. This made it so easy for large amounts of shoes to be made in a small amount of time.

6. I was born in 1843. Many parts of a train operated under the pressure of steam, which push oil away from the moving parts. This made the train stop the engine when oiling it. I saw that I could keep the engine running by using steam pressure to pump the oil where it was needed. My invention was called a lubricating cup.

Extraordinary African Americans7.  I was born on Oct. 4, 1957 in Queens, N.Y. I am an American entrepreneur and activist. I was the co-founder of the pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam, the creator of the clothing line Phat Farm, and the fragrance label Atman.

8. I was born on Dec. 23, 1867. I made my fortune by developing and marketing a hugely successful line of beauty and hair products for black women.

9. I am the first African-American to hold the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the first to hold the Office of Secretary of State. I was born on April 5, 1937 in New York City.

10. I was born on March 12, 1932. I am an American civil rights activist, former U.S. congressman, and mayor of Atlanta, Ga. I was the United States's first African- American Ambassador to the United Nations.

11. I was born on June 3, 1904 in Washington, D.C. I am widely recognized for my successful research on extending the shelf life of blood plasma. I created the system of storage and distribution known as the "Blood Bank" during WWII.

12. In 1950, I became the first African-American to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

13. I founded the first major African-American national union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

14. I was the first African-American astronaut in space aboard the space shuttle Challenger on Aug. 30, 1983.

15. I was credited with breaking the "color barrier" in baseball by becoming the first African-American to play in the major leagues.