Ridgefield Allies

Today in “Hidden” History is a daily listing of important but little-known events illustrating the range of innovators, contributors, or incidents excluded from formal history lessons or common knowledge. Hidden history is intended not as an exhaustive review, but merely as an illustration of how popular narratives "hide" many matters of fundamental importance. Bookmark this page and check daily to quickly expand your knowledge. Suggest entries for Today in “Hidden” History by clicking the Contact Us link. Entries for May 15:

Date	Type	Event
1918		William Henry Johnson, commonly known as Henry Johnson, performs heroically in the first African American unit of the United States Army to engage in combat in World War I. On watch in the Argonne Forest on the evening of May 14, 1918, and carrying over into the early hours of May 15, Johnson fights off a German raid in hand-to-hand combat and rescues a fellow soldier while experiencing 21 wounds. His actions are later brought to the nation's attention by coverage in the New York World and The Saturday Evening Post later that year. Johnson was recognized by the French with a Croix de guerre with star and bronze palm, and was the first U.S. soldier in World War I to receive that honor. Johnson died, poor and in obscurity, in 1929. There was a long struggle to achieve awards for him from the U.S. military. He was awarded the Purple Heart in 1996, the U.S. military awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross in 2002, and on June 2, 2015, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a posthumous ceremony at the White House. Learn more.
1923		The Chip Woman's Fortune , a one-act play written by African American playwright Willis Richardson, opens at the Frazee Theater on Broadway. It I s the first serious work by an African American playwright to be presented on Broadway. Although Broadway had previously presented African American musical comedies and revues, it had never before presented a serious African American drama. Learn more.
1942		The 93rd Infantry Division, a "colored" segregated unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II, is reactivated with the "colored" infantry designation, the first African American division activated in WW II. The division was assigned and saw service in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Learn more.
1946		Operatic soprano Camilla Ella Williams, the first African American to receive a regular contract with a major American opera company, debuts with the New York City Opera in the title role in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. During her time at the New York City Opera, she performed Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, Mimi in Puccini's La bohème, Marguerite in Gounod's Faust, Micaela in Bizet's Carmen, and the title role in Verdi's Aida. She had earlier won honors in vocal competitions and the Marian Anderson Fellowship in 1943–44. In 1954 she became the first African American to sing a major role with the Vienna State Opera. She later also performed as a soloist with numerous European orchestras. As a concert artist, she toured throughout the United States as well as Asia, Australia and New Zealand. In August 1963, as part of the civil rights March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the White House and, when scheduled performer Marian Anderson was delayed trying to get through the gathered throngs, Williams sang the anthem before 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial, preceding Martin Luther King Jr.delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. In 1977, she was the first African American appointed as Professor of Voice at Indiana University, where she taught until 1997. Learn more.