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www.stjude.org

On March 2, 1807, the U.S. Congress passes an act to
“prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or
place within the jurisdiction of the United States,
from any foreign kingdom, place, or country.” It
would go into effect at the start of the following
year.

On March 2, 1966, in Dearborn, Michigan, the Ford Motor
Company celebrated the production of its one millionth
Mustang, a white convertible.

The sporty, affordable vehicle was officially launched
two years earlier, on April 17, 1964, at the World’s Fair
in Flushing Meadows New York. ,

That same day, the new car debuted in Ford showrooms
across America; almost immediately, buyers snapped up
nearly 22,000 of them.

   

Hattie McDaniel and Clark Gable from Gone with the Wind.

An epic Southern romance set during the hard times of the
Civil War, the movie swept the prestigious Best Picture,
Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Film
Editing, and Actress categories.

However, the most momentous award that night undoubtedly
went to Hattie McDaniel for her portrayal of “Mammy,” a
housemaid and former enslaved woman. McDaniel, who
won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award, was the
first African American actress or actor ever to be honored
with an Oscar.

Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1895, McDaniel demonstrated
her talents as a singer and actress while growing up in
Denver, Colorado.

With the onset of the Great Depression, she was forced to
take work as a ladies’ washroom attendant in a Milwaukee
club.

On August 26, 1951, McDaniel suffered a stroke,
complicated by diabetes and a heart ailment,
and was admitted to the Temple Hospital in
Los Angeles.

She died of breast cancer on October 26, 1952.