Before the Civil War and the Fourteenth amendment, there were free blacks who lived, thrived, and contributed significantly to the early history of the United States. Of course life as a free black American in the colonies was not easy, and they faced a myriad of challenges that related directly to the color of their skin. But many were able to live good and even remarkable lives that deserve to be remembered.
October 5 represents the anniversary of what is generally considered to have been an aviation first, the first time that the crew of one airplane shot down another airplane- the first aerial victory in history.