1963

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested for demonstrating for civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama. While imprisoned there, he penned his famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." But King was not finished making history this year - in August, standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., he delivered his world famous "I Have a Dream Speech."

The U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Gray v. Sanders, ruled that the Georgia Democratic Primary was essentially a state election, and struck the use of the county unit system, thus establishing the "one person, one vote" standard for election districts - meaning that no person's vote in one district can count more than another person's vote in any other district.

Georgia Congressman Carl Vinson broke the longevity record of service in Congress. Elected in 1914, he was reelected for 26 consecutive terms. At the time of his retirement in 1965, he had served 50 years and one month in Congress, a record that would last until 1992.

In Georgia and across the nation people reacted in shock, and flags were lowered to half-staff, at the news of the assasination of President John F. Kennedy.

Vince Dooley was named head football coach at the University of Georgia.

Future musician Travis Tritt was born in Marietta, Georgia.

Former Atlanta University professor and civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois died in Ghana.

Further Information:

County Unit System article from the New Georgia Encyclopedia

Gray v. Sanders article from the New Georgia Encyclopedia

Civil Rights Movement article from the New Georgia Encyclopedia

I Have a Dream Speech

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

W.E.B Du Bois article from the New Georgia Encyclopedia

See the following This Day in Georgia History entries:

Jan.15	Feb.9
March18	March25
Apr.12	Apr.16
June13	June27
July16	Aug.27
Aug.28	Oct.30(see 1967)
Nov.22	Dec.5

 

 

 

 

 

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