Welcome to Today In Black History for Wednesday, July 9, 2008.

On this day in Black History ..

• 1868 - 1st black cabinet member in SC (Francis L Cardozo-sect of state)
• 1876 - Black landowner murdered in Hamburg SC
• 1915 - Germany surrenders South West Africa to Union of South Africa
• 1927 - Atty William T Francis named minister to Liberia
• 1955 - 1st black executive on White House staff (E Frederic Morrow)
• 1976 - Uganda asks UN to condemn Israeli hostage rescue raid on Entebbe
• 1981 - Jacksons begin a 36-city tour
• 1985 - South Africa police arrested Dutch ANC'er Klaas de Jong
• 1991 - South Africa readmitted to Olympics
• 1997 - Mike Tyson is banned from boxing, for biting Holyfield's ear

Famous Birthdays for this day ..

• 1918 - Rowley I Arenstein, S African attorney/communist/ANC'er
• 1922 - Rey Hassan, Morroco, King of Morocco (1961- )
• 1929 - Mawlai al-Hassan II, King of Morocco (1961- )
• 1930 - Roy McLean, cricketer (prolific S African batsman played 40 Tests)
• 1955 - Jimmy Smits, Bkln, actor (Victor-LA Law, Running Scared, NYPD Blue)

Famous Deaths for this day ..

• 1875 - Francis Preston Blair Jr, famed St Louis lawyer, dies at 54
• 1972 - Kwame Nkrumah, re-buried in Nkroful Ghana
• 1994 - William "Sabby" Lewis, jazz Pianist/Arranger, dies at 79