1883 – Ernest Everett Just Is Born
Dr. Ernest E. Just was a pioneering biologist whose research on cell surfaces reshaped modern biology. Born on August 14, 1883 in Charleston, South Carolina, Just overcame early hardship to become a leading scholar. He graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth, earned a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, and spent much of his career at Howard University and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts. He also co-founded Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in 1911.
Denied opportunities at White institutions, Just continued his research in Europe, including at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute and in France. He was briefly held as a prisoner of war during WWII before returning to the U.S., where he died in 1941.
1894 – Ada “Bricktop” Smith Is Born
Ada “Bricktop” Smith was a vaudevillian performer, nightclub owner, and cultural icon born on August 14, 1894, in West Virginia. Raised in Chicago, she began performing at age five and joined the vaudeville circuit by her teens, earning the nickname “Bricktop” for her red hair. By the 1920s, she was a fixture in Harlem and helped launch Duke Ellington’s early career.
Smith became internationally renowned after opening Chez Bricktop’s in Paris in 1926, attracting elite guests like Cole Porter, the Prince of Wales, and Josephine Baker. Though WWII ended her Paris run, she later opened clubs in Mexico City, Rome, and New York. Known as the “doyenne of café society,” Smith performed into her eighties and died in 1984 at age 90.
1959 – Earvin “Magic” Johnson Is Born
Earvin “Magic” Johnson, born August 14, 1959, in Lansing, Michigan, earned his nickname after a dazzling high school performance. He led his team to a state title and later took Michigan State to an NCAA Championship victory over Larry Bird’s Indiana State in 1979. Drafted by the Lakers that same year, Johnson won five NBA championships and was named Finals MVP three times.
In 1991, Magic retired after announcing he was HIV-positive, becoming a global advocate for awareness. He founded the Magic Johnson Foundation to support underserved communities through health education and youth programs. Johnson remains a basketball legend and a dedicated philanthropist.
