April 20, 1914: Ludlow Massacre
The National Guard fired on striking miners and their families in Ludlow, Colorado.
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This Day in People's History
Welcome to the This Day in People's History (#tdih) series. Search people’s history events by date, theme, state, or keyword.
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April 17, 1996: Landless Workers Movement Protesters Murdered by Brazilian Government
Brazil’s military police gunned down 19 peasant farm workers in the Via Campesina movement who were marching for land sovereignty in 1996.
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April 8, 1911: Banner Mine Explosion
An explosion at the Banner Mine in Alabama killed 128 men, almost all of them African American prisoners of the state who were forced to work in the mine under the convict leasing system.
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April 5, 1979: Boston University Strike
Boston University refused to approve negotiated contract, so the faculty union called a strike, with Howard Zinn as co-chair of strike committee. Other staff and librarians also went on strike that spring.
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April 3, 1934: Southern Tenant Farmers’ Union
The Southern Tenant Farmers Union broke away from a larger organization and became a racially integrated workers union.
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March 22, 1968: March for Justice and Jobs
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Community on the Move for Equality called for a march in Memphis, Tennessee in solidarity with sanitation workers.
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March 21, 1919: Associated Negro Press Launched
Entrepreneur Claude Albert Barnett launched the Associated Negro Press, or ANP, a nationwide and international news service that focused on current events, feature stories, opinions and other information important to African Americans but usually ignored by or unknown to white-owned mainstream media.
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March 18, 1970: Postal Workers Strike
The first mass work stoppage in the 195-year history of the Postal Service began with a walkout of letter carriers in Brooklyn and Manhattan who were demanding better wages.
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March 14, 1954: Salt of the Earth Premieres
The film Salt of the Earth premiered at the 86th Street Grande Theatre, the only theater in New York City that would show the film.
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March 12, 1912: Bread and Roses Strike Is Successful
Most of the demands of labor unions were met in the 1912 Lawrence textile strike.
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March 7, 1932: Hunger March Against Ford Motors
A hunger march by unemployed workers against Ford Motors.
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March 4, 1933: Frances Perkins First Woman to Serve in U.S. Cabinet
Frances Perkins became Secretary of Labor, and the first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet.
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March 3, 1807: Thomas Jefferson Signs Insurrection Act Into Law
President Thomas Jefferson put his signature on the law known as the Insurrection Act.
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March 2, 1912: HR 409 Hearings on Lawrence Strike
Milwaukee representative Victor Berger introduced House Resolution 409 to conduct hearings into the Lawrence strike and the workings of the American Woolen Company.
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Feb. 19, 1968: Florida Teachers’ Strike
Teachers and administrators from the Florida Education Association (FEA) walked out in what is reported to be the first statewide teachers’ strike.
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Feb. 16, 1936: Akron Rubber Strike
Rubber workers began a sit-down strike at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in Akron, Ohio.
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Feb. 14, 2011: Wisconsin Workers Strike
The Wisconsin Workers strike involved as many as 100,000 protesters opposing the 2011 Wisconsin Act 10.
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Feb. 12, 1968: Sanitation Workers Strike in Memphis
Over 1,100 sanitation workers strike and march for better wages, conditions, and safety with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Feb. 11, 1916: Emma Goldman Arrested
Russian Jewish anarchist Emma Goldman was arrested for distributing materials about birth control in violation of the Comstock Act.
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Jan. 31, 1938: Emma Tenayuca Leads Pecan Shellers Strike
Tenayuca was known as “La Pasionaria de Texas” for her commitment to justice for Mexican American laborers.
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