Black History Knowledge
Black History Knowledge — August 17
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What happened on this day. These are the August 17 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.
2016 — Elaine Thompson completes an Olympic sprint double
On Aug 17, 2016, Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson won the 200-meter final at the Rio Olympics in 21.78 seconds. The victory, four days after her 100-meter gold, made her the first woman in twenty-eight years to sweep both Olympic sprint titles.
1959 — Miles Davis releases Kind of Blue
On Aug 17, 1959, Columbia Records released Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue. Featuring musicians including John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley, the album transformed modal jazz and became one of the most influential and best-selling jazz recordings ever made.
1960 — Gabon declares independence from France
On Aug 17, 1960, Gabon proclaimed its independence from French colonial rule. The new Central African nation joined the wider wave of African decolonization that made 1960 known as the “Year of Africa.”
Wear the history: Miles Davis — from the Black Knowledge Wear collection.
