Often known simply as Cleopatra, this ruler of Egypt, Cleopatra VII Philopater, was the last Pharaoh of Egypt, last of the Ptolemy dynasty of Egyptian rulers. She is also known for her relationships to Julius Caesar and to Marc Antony.

Dates: 69 BCE - August 30, 30 BCE

Occupation: Pharaoh of Egypt (ruler)

Also Known as: Cleopatra Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra VII Philopater; Cleopatra Philadelphus Philopator Philopatris Thea Neotera

Cleopatra VII was the descendant of Macedonians who were established as rulers over Egypt when Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 323 BCE.

Much of what we know about Cleopatra was written after her death when it was politically expedient to portray her as a threat to Rome and its stability.

Thus, some of what we know about Cleopatra may have been exaggerated or misrepresented by those sources. Cassius Dio, one of the ancient sources that tell her story, summarizes her story as She captivated the two greatest Romans of her day, and because of the third she destroyed herself.

During Cleopatras early years, her father tried to maintain his failing power in Egypt by bribing powerful Romans. Ptolemy XII was reportedly the son of a concubine instead of a royal wife.

When Ptolemy XII went to Rome in 58 BCE, his wife, Cleopatra VI Tryphaina, and his eldest daughter, Berenice IV, assumed the rulership jointly. When he returned, apparently Cleopatra VI had died, and with the help of Roman forces, Ptolemy XII regained his throne and executed Berenice. Ptolemy then married his son, about 9 years old, to his remaining daughter, Cleopatra, who was by time about eighteen.

Cleopatra apparently attempted to rule alone, or at least not equally with her much-younger brother. In 48 BCE, Cleopatra was pushed out of power by ministers. At the same time, Pompey -- with whom Ptolemy XII had allied himself -- appeared in Egypt, chased by forces of Julius Caesar. Pompey was assassinated by Ptolemy XIIIs supporters.

A sister of Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII declared herself ruler as Arsinoe IV.

Cleopatra,

National Guard mobilized to put down racial disturbances in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Simmons College of Kentucky, the state’s oldest African American college, was founded in 1879. The college was established by former slaves to train the sons and daughters of fellow African Americans. In August of 1865, Rev. Henry Adams led the effort to create the institution where he proposed a college be established for former enslaved people at the State Convention of Colored Baptist Churches meeting at Louisville.  

Follow up efforts to create the college languished until November 1879 when the Trustees of the Convention of Colored Baptist Churches of Kentucky bought four acres of land in Louisville to serve as the campus for the institution. The college was first known as the Kentucky Normal Theological Institute and its first president was Rev. Elijah P. Marrs.

In 1880, Dr. William J. Simmons succeeded Rev. Marrs as president and soon the schools fortunes increased.  Simmons, a former slave, had helped develop Howard Universitys teacher training programs.  Under Dr. Simmonss leadership the school’s offerings increased.  To a primarily liberal arts curriculum he added courses in medicine, law, music, business, and theology.  He also encouraged competitive intra and intramural sports and led the effort to gain university status. After a charter amendment in 1884, the college was recognized as a state university.

In 1893, Kentucky Normal University had 159 students.  By 1900, in partnership with the University of Louisville, the University offered professional degrees in nursing and law. The University proudly and accurately claimed that most African Americans in Kentucky who were physicians, teachers, ministers, and lawyers before 1920 had attended the University.  The University became the only African American higher institution in the nation other than Howard University with both medical and law departments.  In 1918 in recognition of the impact of Dr. Simmonss ten years of leadership (1880-1890) on the University, the Board of Trustees renamed it Simmons University.  By 1922 the campus had

Second Executive Director of the NAACP, Roy Wilkins was born, 1901

Roy Ottoway Wilkins (August 30, 1901 – September 8, 1981) was a prominent activist in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the 1930s to the 1970s.[1] [2] Wilkins most notable role was in his leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).[2]

Wilkins was born in St. Louis, Missouri on August 30, 1901.[3] His father was not present for his birth, having fled the town in fear of being lynched after he refused demands to step away and yield the sidewalk to a white man.[3] When he was four years old, his mother died from tuberculosis, after which Wilkins and his siblings were raised by an aunt and uncle in an integrated community of St. Paul, Minnesota, where they attended local schools.[4] His nephew was Roger Wilkins. Wilkins graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in sociology in 1923.[3]

In 1929, he married social worker Aminda Minnie Badeau; the couple had no children of their own, but the couple did raise the two children of Hazel Wilkins-Colton, a writer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

While attending college, Wilkins worked as a journalist at The Minnesota Daily and became editor of The Appeal, an African-American newspaper. After he graduated he became the editor of The Call in 1923.

His confrontation of the Jim Crow Laws led his activist work and in 1931, he moved to New York City as assistant NAACP secretary under Walter Francis White. When W. E. B. Du Bois left the organization in 1934, Wilkins replaced him as editor of The Crisis, the official magazine of the NAACP. From 1949-50, Wilkins chaired the National Emergency Civil Rights Mobilization, which comprised more than 100 local and national groups.

He served as an adviser to the War Department during World War II.

In 1950, Wilkins — along with A. Philip Randolph, founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and Arnold Aronson,[5] a leader of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council — founded the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR). LCCR has

Roy Wilkins was born on this day.

Carrie Saxton Perry was born this day in Hartford, Connecticut. Perry was elected mayor of Hartford Connecticut in 1987.

Blacks participated in a national political convention for the first time at Liberty party convention in Buffalo. Samuel R. Ward led the convention in prayer; Henry Highland Garnet was a member of the nominating committee; and Charles R. Ray was one of the convention secretaries.

Act of August 30, 1890, ch. 841, 26 Stat. 417, 7 U.S.C. 322 et seq.

Chap. 841.--AN ACT To apply a portion of the proceeds of the public lands to the more complete endowment and support of the colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts established under the provisions of an act of Congress approved July second, eighteen hundred and sixty-two.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there shall be and hereby is, annually appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, arising from the sales of public lands; to be paid as hereinafter provided to each State and Territory for the more complete endowment and maintenance of colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts now established, or which may be hereafter established, in accordance with an act of Congress approved July second, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety, and an annual increase of the amount of such appropriation thereafter for ten years by an additional sum of one thousand dollars over the preceding year, and the annual amount to be paid thereafter to each State and Territory shall be fifty thousand dollars to be applied only to instruction in food and agricultural sciences (1) and to the facilities for such instruction: Provided , That said colleges may use a portion of this money for providing courses for the special preparation of instructors for teaching the elements of agriculture and the mechanic arts: (2) Provided , (3) That no money shall be paid out under this act to any State or Territory for the support and maintenance of a college where a distinction of race or color is made in the admission of students, but the establishment and maintenance of such colleges separately for white and colored students shall be held to be a compliance with the provisions of this act if the funds received in such State or Territory

Strom forced suspension of attack on Richmond, Va., by Gabriel Prosser and some one thousand slaves. Conspiracy was betrayed by two slaves. Prosser and fifteen of his followers were hanged on October 7.

Lt. Col. Guion S. Bluford Jr. The first Black US astronaut enters space, 1983

Campbell, W. S.

Self-setting animal trap

Aug. 30, 1881

Patent No. 246,369

Race riot, Benton Harbor, Michigan. National Guard mobilized.

Constance Baker Motley confirmed as U.S. district judge and became the first Black woman on the federal bench.

White mob prevented enrollment of students at Mansfield High School, Mansfield, Texas.

The first African American magazine, Mirror of Freedom, begins publication in New York City.

John C. Fremont issued proclamation freeing slaves of Missouri rebels. Lincoln revoked the proclamation.