Today in black history: Nelson Mandela released from prison and Buster Douglas knocks Mike Tyson out

1977 – First black secretary of the Army confirmed

Clifford Alexander Jr. would hold the position of secretary of the army until the end of President Jimmy Carter’s term.

1989 – Barbara C. Harris was ordained as a bishop in the Episcopal Church
Barbara C. Harris was ordained bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts on Feb. 11, 1989. She was the first woman and African-American in the position. She was threatened and was at one point urged to wear a bulletproof vest, but she refused. Harris retired from the position in Boston in 2003.

1990 – Nelson Mandela is freed
South Africa’s black nationalist leader Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years. Three years after he was released, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and the following year he was elected president of South Africa. He became an international symbol of defiance against the brutality of South Africa’s racist regime and, finally, the face of the end of the entire apartheid apparatus.

1990 – Buster Douglas takes Mike Tyson down
Mike Tyson, the undefeated and undisputed heavyweight champion, was knocked out by James “Buster” Douglas in the 10th round of their fight in Tokyo. It was one of the greatest upsets in boxing history.