Raid on Harper's Ferry (1859) On this day in 1859, abolitionist John Brown initiated a raid on Harper's Ferry in an effort to start a revolt in the American South. The raid was ultimately...
Black Panther Party Founded (1966) On this day in 1966, in the wake of spontaneous riots against police brutality, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton founded the Black Panther Party in Oakland,...
Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam (1967) The Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam was a national series of protests and teach-ins against the Vietnam War that began on this day in 1967. One...
Dorothy Bolden (1923 - 2005) Dorothy Lee Bolden, born on this day in 1923, was the founder of the National Domestic Worker's Union of America and civil rights activist who fought for women's...
West African Railway Strike (1947) On this day in 1947, the longest strike in African history at the time began, stretching across all branches of railway in French West Africa, the wharfs in...
Kirkby Rent Strike (1972) The Kirkby Rent Strike was a 14-month long rent strike initiated by 3,000 tenants on this day in 1972 in the town of Kirkby (outside Liverpool), against the Housing...
Little Falls Textile Strike (1912) On this day in 1912, Phoenix Mill workers in Little Falls, New York spontaneously walked off their job to demand a wage increase and a 54-hour work week. With...
West Coast Longshore Strike (1923) On this day in 1923, the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) in Vancouver struck for higher wages. With a force of 350 company guards protecting the...
Antonio Soto (1897 - 1963) Antonio Soto Canalejo (also known as "El Gallego Soto"), born on this day in 1897, was one of the principal anarcho-syndicalist leaders in the 1921 rural strikes of...
Joe Hill (1879 - 1915) Joe Hill, born on this day in 1879, was a Swedish-American labor organizer, songwriter, and member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). In 1915, he was convicted of...
Desmond Tutu (1931 - 2021) Desmond Tutu, born on this day in 1931, was a South African Anglican cleric, theologian, and human rights activist who campaigned against apartheid. "My humanity is...
"Smiling Joe" Ettor (1885 - 1948) "Smiling Joe" Ettor, born on this day in 1885, was an Italian-American union organizer who, in the 1910s, was one of the leading public faces of the Industrial...
Fannie Lou Hamer (1917 - 1977) Fannie Lou Hamer, born on this day in 1917, was a community organizer and leader within the civil rights movement. "I'm gonna be moving forward, and if they shoot...
Battle of the Thames (1813) On this day in 1813, Tecumseh was killed in the "Battle of the Thames", fought during the War of 1812 between America and Tecumseh's Confederacy. Tecumseh's death led...
Philip Berrigan (1923 - 2002) Philip Berrigan, born on this day in 1923, was a Christian peace activist frequently arrested while protesting the Vietnam War. "The poor tell us who we are, the...
Battle of Cable Street (1936) On this day in 1936, 20,000 anti-fascists turned out in East London to drive out a rally of 2,000-3,000 fascists organized by Oswald Mosley, forcing them to flee...
Sankara U.N. Speech (1984) On this day in 1984, Pan-African socialist Thomas Sankara spoke at the United Nations, saying "I speak not only on behalf of Burkina Faso, my country which I love so...
Belfast Outdoor Relief Strike (1932) On this day in 1932, 30,000 protesters in Belfast, Northern Ireland held a meeting on the Custom House steps to demand an increase in social welfare. When...