February 2

Jet Magazine, February 2, 1956: ...trumpeter Louis (Satchmo) Armstrong, recently returned from tour of Europe, tells actress Grace Kelly about his trip that "warmed up those Russian cats."

Birthdays

Edward "Sonny" Stitt (born Edward Boatner, Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. He was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording more than 100 albums. He was nicknamed the "Lone Wolf" by jazz critic Dan Morgenstern, in reference to his relentless touring and devotion to jazz. Stitt was sometimes viewed as a mere Charlie Parker mimic, especially earlier in his career, but gradually came to develop his own sound and style - particularly when performing on tenor sax.

Martina Arroyo (born February 2, 1937), is an American operatic soprano who had a major international opera career from the 1960s through the 1980s. She was part of the first generation of black opera singers to achieve wide success, and is viewed as part of an instrumental group of performers who helped break down the barriers of racial prejudice in the opera world.




Events

On February 2, 1897, Alfred Cralle received the patent for his invention of the ice cream scoop. He was working at a Pittsburgh drugstore with a soda fountain and noticed that it was difficult for clerks to dish up a serving of ice cream. The basic design is still in use today.

On February 2, 1955, New York Representative Adam Clayton Powell, then one of only three African Americans in the U.S. Congress, gave a landmark speech to argue that his colleagues should support two pending civil rights bills then before the House of Representatives. The text of his remarks can be read here.

On February 2, 2009, Eric Holder was the first African American to be confirmed as United States Attorney General. He had previously served as a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.







Photo Gallery

The 1st contingent of African-American WACs to go overseas. February 2, 1945 at Camp Shanks, New York. 

The "Norfolk 17" -- On February 2, 1959, 17 African-American students entered six previously all-white middle and high schools in Norfolk, Virginia.

Michelle Obama  during her appearance on Ellen on February 2, 2012

Publications

Grace Kelly and Louis Armstrong in Jet Magazine, February 2, 1956

Sly Stone on the cover of Soul, February 2, 1976.

In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863 (Historical Studies of Urban America) by Leslie M. Harris. $21.24. 393 pages. Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (February 2, 2003).

TIME Magazine Cover: Commemorative Issue: President Barack Obama - February 2, 2009

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