Today In Black History - Ray Charles Records "What'd I Say" [VIDEO]

During Black History month, we are honored to highlight the historical events and groundbreaking achievements of African-Americans. From the unsung heroes of the Underground Railroad to the civil rights movement and the countless inventions that have changed the way we live. We tell their stories.

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Get interesting historical facts on how these individuals, their inventions and fearless acts influenced change in America.

On this day in Black History......

1973- Harlem Renaissance artist Palmer Hayden, dies.

1959- Ray Charles Records "What''d Say", his first big crossover hit.
The story goes, the legendary Ray Charles ran out of songs to play one night at a show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and he ended up improvising by playing an untitled song he lhad been working on. The audience loved it and the rest is history. On this day in 1959, he recorded "What'd I Say." The song would become a No. 1 R&B charts and No. 6 on the pop charts, his first big crossover hit.

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1931- Toni Morrison was born.
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1896- H. Grenon patents the razor stropping device

1894- renowned architect Paul Revere Williams is born.

http://youtu.be/N-EMQdkRD7o

1867- Morehouse Predecessor Founded

Today Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally the institution was founded in Augusta, Georgia on this day in 1867. Originally the school was called The Augusta Institute was founded by William Jefferson White, an Atlanta Baptist minister and cabinetmaker, along with Rev. Richard C. Coulter, a former slave from Atlanta, Georgia, and the Rev. Edmund Turney, organizer of the National Theological Institute for educating freedmen in Washington, D.C. Following its relocation to Atlanta, it was re-named. Morehouse College is one of the most prestigious black colleges in the nation. Speaking of which, it is one of two black colleges in the country to produce Rhodes Scholars, and is the alma mater of many African-American leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

1865- Rebels abandoned Charleston

Rebels abandoned Charleston. First Union troops to enter the city included Twenty-first U.S.C.T., followed by two companies of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers.

1688- The First Formal Protest Against Slavery Took Place.

First formal protest against slavery by organized white body in English America made by Germantown (Pa.) Quakers at monthly meeting. The historic "Germantown Protest" denounced slavery and the slave trade.

Today In Black History – Ray Charles Records “What’d I Say” [VIDEO]