BLACK HISTORY MONTH LITTLE KNOWN FACTS

Fact #50
In 1974, collegiate track star Denis Fikes ran the mile in a time of 3:55.0, the fastest time by an African-American, the second fastest in the U.S. that year, and the 15th-fastest in the world. The record stood for more than a decade.

Fact #51
Music legend Aretha Franklin is one of the most honored artists in Grammy Award history, with 20 wins to date.

Fact #52
Athlete Edward Gourdin was the first man in history to break the long jump record, with a jump of 25-feet 3-inches. He later became the first African-American Superior Court judge in New England.

Fact #53
Florence "Flo Jo" Griffith-Joyner a runner known for her stylish flair on the track, set the world record for the 100 and 200 meter dash at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea.

Fact #54
At age 23, Great Britain's Lewis Hamilton became both the youngest Formula One World Champion in history, as well as the first black one.

Fact #55
In 2006 Whitney Houston, a celebrated singer, songwriter and actress, was named the most awarded female artist of all time by the Guinness World Records.

Fact #56
In 1980, singer and performer Michael Jackson secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry—37 percent of the album's profit.

Fact #57
Pop icon Michael Jackson has earned several Guiness World Records, including Most Successful Entertainer of All Time for his 13 Grammy Awards, 13 No.1 singles, and the sale of over 750 million albums worldwide.

Fact #58
The video for Michael and Janet Jackson's duet, "Scream", cost $7 million to produce, making it the most expensive music video ever made.

Fact #59
Michael Jackson, singer, songwriter, and entertainer extraordinaire, was nominated for 12 Grammy awards and won a record-breaking eight in 1984. He has received 13 Grammy awards in his career, and is a double inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as part of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist). He holds the title of Most Top 10 Singles from an album for Thriller (1982) and the Most No. 1 Singles from an album for Bad (1987).

Fact #60
Michael Johnson, a sprinter often billed as "the fastest man in the world", has won five Olympic gold medals; broken numerous world records including his own; and placed first in both the 200-meter and 400-meter races within the same Olympic game in 1996.

Fact #61
During the 2008 Olympic trials, Cullen Jones became the first African-American swimmer to hold a world record when he completed the 50-meter freestyle in 21.59 seconds.

Fact #62
Music composer and producer, Quincy Jones is the most Grammy-nominated artist in the history of the awards with 76 nominations and 26 awards.

Fact #63
The Buffalo Soldiers served in the Spanish American war, various Indian wars and helped to settle the west by installing telegraph lines, protecting wagon trains and defending new settlements. More than 20 Buffalo Soldiers have received the highest military award, the Medal of Honor—the most any military unit has ever received.

Fact #64
At the 2010 Grammy Awards, singer Beyonce Knowles walked away from the ceremony with six awards—the most wins in a single night by a female artist in the history of the event.

Fact #65
Singer Beyonce Knowles became the second best-selling female artist of the 21st century with record sales of over $37 million.

Fact #66
Beyonce Knowles, an award-winning singer, songwriter and actress, holds the record for the longest run on the Billboard Hot 100's No. 1 spot in 2003 with the songs "Crazy in Love" (8 weeks) and "Baby Boy" (9 weeks).

Fact #67
African-American entrepreneur Reginald Lewis' 1992 gift to Harvard Law School was the largest single donation the school ever received from an individual at that time.

Fact #68
Track and Field star, Jesse Owens (1913 - 1980) broke many records at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin, including becoming the first athlete to win four gold medals in one Olympiad.

Fact #69
Baseball star Satchel Paige was more than 40 years old the entire time he pitched for the major leagues, making him the oldest rookie in baseball history.

Fact #70
Deval Patrick is the first African-American to be governor of Massachusetts and the second man in U.S. history to be elected African-American governor.

Fact #71
Susan Rice is America's third woman ambassador to the UN, and the first black woman to hold the position.

Fact #72
In 1960, Olympian Irvin Roberson broke Jesse Owens' 25-year-old world indoor record in the broad jump with a 25-foot 9-inch leap. After breaking the record, Roberson began a six-year professional football career in which he landed an MVP title. After retiring from the game, Roberson earned a Ph.D. in psychology.

Fact #73
Frank Robinson is the only baseball player to win MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues.

Fact #74
Wilma Rudolph (1940 -1994) a record breaking track star was born the 20th of 22 children, and stricken with polio as a child. She not only overcame polio but broke world records in three Olympic track events and was the first American woman to win three gold medals at the Olympics (1960).

Fact #75
African-American business pioneer Madame C.J. Walker, supplied the largest amount of money toward the preservation of former abolitionist Frederick Douglass' home.

Fact #76
African-American Tiger Woods is the highest-paid professional athlete, earning an estimated $122 million from winnings and endorsements.

Fact #77
Golfer, Tiger Woods (1975 - ) is the youngest person and the first African-American to win the Masters Tournament in 1997 and by a record breaking lead of 12 strokes. He was also the highest paid athlete in 2005, earning an estimated $87 million dollars.

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