Then and Now The Current — May 14, 1607: Jamestown Is Established in Virginia
The establishment of Jamestown on May 14, 1607 launched the first permanent English settlement in North America and transformed the history of Virginia forever.
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Then and Now The Current — May 8, 1861: Richmond Named Capital of the Confederacy
On May 8, 1861, Richmond became the capital of the Confederacy, placing Virginia at the center of the Civil War.
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Then and Now The Current — May 6, 1931: Willie Mays Is Born
Born on May 6, 1931, Willie Mays became one of the greatest athletes in American history and a towering symbol of Black excellence in sports.
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Then and Now The Current — May 3, 1933: James Brown Is Born
Born May 3, 1933, James Brown revolutionized music, pioneered funk, and helped define Black identity during the Civil Rights era.
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Then and Now The Current — May 1, 1939: Birth of Max Robinson
Born in Richmond on May 1, 1939, Max Robinson broke barriers to become the first Black anchor of a network nightly news broadcast.
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Then and Now The Current — April 30, 1861: Virginia Adopts Its State Flag in Richmond
On April 30, 1861, Virginia’s secession convention in Richmond adopted the design that became the state flag.
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Then and Now The Current — April 29, 1899: Duke Ellington Is Born
Born on this day in 1899, Duke Ellington transformed jazz into an enduring American art form rooted in Black cultural expression.
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Then and Now The Current — April 27, 1927: Birth of Coretta Scott King
Born April 27, 1927, Coretta Scott King became a global voice for justice and a key architect of civil rights memory.
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Then and Now The Current — April 25, 1917: Ella Fitzgerald Is Born
Born in Newport News on April 25, 1917, Ella Fitzgerald rose to become one of the most influential voices in jazz and a global symbol of Black artistic excellence,
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Then and Now The Current — April 24, 1867: Richmond Streetcar Protest
On April 24, 1867, Black Richmonders challenged segregated streetcars, marking an early chapter in the long struggle for equal access to public transportation.
