This Day in History: 2017-10-29
November 5, 1996 – “Gary Locke Elected to Washington State Governorship”
Gary Locke became the first Asian American elected governor of a mainland state when he won the governorship by a wide margin. Locke’s success in raising the state’s educational standards and balancing its budget led to a landslide victory for a second term in 2000. He decided not to run for a third term because he wanted to spend more time with his two young children, but was chosen to deliver the Democratic rebuttal to President George W. Bush’s State of the Union Address in 2004.
May 12, 1902 - "Joe Gans Becomes World's First African-American Boxing Champion" Joe Gans defeated Frank Erne to become the world's first African-American
to win World Championship in any weight class. He became a world champion a full six years before famed boxer Jack Johnson. This is because Johnson's attempts at challenging for the heavyweight title were thwarted as James J. Jeffries refused to face him. Gans and Johnson were two early champions in a sport dominated by African-Americans throughout the 20th century.