Celebrating Black History Month: Tidye Pickett, first African American woman to participate in Summer Olympic Games

Tidye Pickett, born November 3, 1914 in Chicago, Illinois, was the first African American woman to represent the United States at the Olympic games.  She and Louise Stokes were chosen to participate in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.  

Pickett competed in the 100-m dash and won, placing her third in the semi-finals. She qualified for the final, and placed sixth.  

Pickett and Stokes were selected to be in the 4x100 relay, but were left out of the finals.  It seems racism played a role in the omission from the games, but the ruling remains disputed. 

After the Olympics, Pickett became a school teacher and served as principal at an elementary school in East Chicago Heights, until her retirement in 1980.  She passed away in November 1986.

A brief history of Tidye Pickett

Sir Alec Guinness, Star Wars actor, born 1914

Alec Guinness, born April 2, 1914 in London, England, is best known for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars movie franchise.  He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Bridge on the River Kwai, for which he also won a Golden Globe.  He also won an Honorary Academy Award in 1980.  He was nominated four more times for Oscars including his role as Obi-Wan, for which he won a Saturn Award.

My favorite Alec Guinness movie is The Man in the White Suit. 

He passed away in August 2000.

Martha, the last passenger pigeon, dies 1914

Due to the cruelty and stupidity of mankind, the passenger pigeon became extinct September 1, 1914 when Martha, the last of the species passed away in the Cincinnati Zoo.  She had been named in honor of First Lady Martha Washington.

In the 1800s, passenger pigeons numbered in the billions and flocks could darken the skies.  Since they fed on crop foods, they became enemies of farmers.  Also, people found out that passengers pigeons were delicious.  As a result, they were hunted to the point of extinction and only then, did people realize the only living specimens were in zoos.  By that time, it was too late.  Martha passed away at the ripe old age of 29.

We are seeing history repeat itself.