Black History Knowledge — August 3

What happened on this day. These are the August 3 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.

1936 — Jesse Owens wins Olympic gold in the 100-meter dash

On August 3, 1936, Jesse Owens won the 100-meter final at the Berlin Olympics in 10.3 seconds. His first of four gold medals made him the central figure of Games that Nazi Germany had hoped to use as propaganda for white supremacy.

1949 — The National Basketball Association is created

On August 3, 1949, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League merged to form the NBA. The league remained segregated during its first season, but Chuck Cooper, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, and Earl Lloyd broke its color barrier in 1950 and opened a league that Black athletes would transform.

1979 — Patricia Roberts Harris becomes secretary of Health, Education and Welfare

On August 3, 1979, Patricia Roberts Harris was sworn in as U.S. secretary of Health, Education and Welfare after previously leading the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Already the first Black woman to serve in a presidential Cabinet, Harris now oversaw one of the federal government’s largest departments.