On This Day: February 5th in Black History

February 5th in Black History

February 5th commemorates athletic legends, civil rights victories, and cultural pioneers who shaped history.

Notable Events

1934 - Hank Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama. "Hammerin' Hank" would break Babe Ruth's all-time home run record in 1974, finishing his career with 755 home runs while enduring horrific racist threats throughout his pursuit of the record.

1997 - Morgan Freeman received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in "The Shawshank Redemption," though he would win his first Oscar in 2005 for "Million Dollar Baby."

2003 - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed the United Nations about Iraq—a historic moment as the highest-ranking African American in presidential succession.

Births on This Day

1934 - Hank Aaron, baseball's home run king and civil rights advocate

1948 - Barbara Hershey, but also Sly Stone was still performing—we honor his February birthday month as the pioneer of psychedelic soul and funk

1985 - Cristiano Ronaldo was born—but so was Darren Criss, whose Filipino-Irish heritage reflects the diversity of the global Black and Brown experience

Hank Aaron: More Than Baseball

While Aaron's 755 career home runs made headlines, his off-field impact was equally significant:

He received over 930,000 pieces of hate mail during his chase of Ruth's record
Despite death threats, he never wavered in his pursuit
After retirement, he became a prominent business executive and philanthropist
The Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation continues supporting young people

"I never smile when I have a bat in my hands. That's when you've got to be serious." — Hank Aaron

Did You Know?

On February 5, 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment was submitted to the states for ratification. It would be ratified just three weeks later, prohibiting federal and state governments from denying citizens the right to vote based on race.

Discover more athletic pioneers in our directory. Explore our Black History Calendar for important dates and events, or learn about the civil rights victories that shaped history.