This Week in Black History

Jet, May 31, 1999

May 25, 1926 -

* Miles Davis, jazz legend, was born on this day in Alton, IL. Davis got his first trumpet and music lesson on his 13th birthday as a present from his father, an affluent dental surgeon. The trumpeter Clark Terry was Davis' idol and a mentor to him. He enrolled in the Juilliard School of Music in September 1944. For the first few months he studied classical music during the day and jazz at the clubs on 52nd and Harlem at night. While working with both Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie he learned the harmonic vocabulary of be-bop and soon began to forge his solo style. In 1948 he began to experiment with a new, more elaborate orchestrated style that later became known as "cool jazz." Davis was known as a trumpeter, composer, musical genius and consistent music trendsetter, during his career of more than 40 years. He died September 28, 1991, at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, CA.

May 26, 1956 -

* Althea Gibson, athlete, became the first Black to win a major tennis title when she won the women's singles title in the French Open on this day. She won the Wimbledon championship on July 6, 1957. Gibson also became the first Black to win a major United States national championship on September 8, 1957, when she defeated Louise Brough at Forest Hills to win the U.S. women's singles title. In 1968, Althea Gibson had the honor of being the first Black to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

May 26, 1991 -

* Willy T. Ribbs became the first Black to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 on this day. The San Jose, CA, native qualified with an average speed of 217.358 mph.