1897 – Langston University is Founded
Langston University, formerly known as Colored Agricultural and Normal University, was founded as a land grant college on March 12, 1987. It is Oklahoma’s only historically Black college. Created under the Second Morrill Act to provide African Americans access to higher education, the school opened its first classes in September 1898 with an enrollment of 41 students. Today, Langston University educates nearly 3,000 students across its three campuses in Oklahoma and offers over 40 degree programs.
1955 – Charlie Parker Passes Away
Charlie Parker was an acclaimed jazz saxophonist, often credited as one of the leading figures of the bebop jazz style. After moving to New York in his 20s, Parker became a frequent collaborator of other jazz innovators, such as Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, and Miles Davis. He died in 1955 at 34 years old.