Student Historian

Nikolaus Wirth is a visiting graduate student at the University of Washington for the academic year 2007-2008. His home institution is the University of Augsburg in Germany.  He attends the University of Washington through a scholarship program of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). As soon as he returns to Germany, he will pursue his M.A. degree in Modern European History. His research interests are the transatlantic relations between Germany and the United States and the Social and Political History of both countries after the Second World War.

Hans-Jürgen Massaquoi (1926-2013)

Hans-Jürgen Massaquoi was born on January 19, 1926 in the city of Hamburg, Germany. The son of the German nurse Bertha Baetz and the Liberian businessman Al-Hajj Massaquoi, Hans-Jürgen spent the first years of his life with the family of his paternal grandfather, Momolu Massaquoi, … Read MoreHans-Jürgen Massaquoi (1926-2013)

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, SNCC (1960-1973)

On February 1, 1960, four Black college students in Greensboro, North Carolina, demanded service at a Woolworth’s lunch counter. When the staff refused to serve them, they stayed until the store closed. In the following days and weeks, this “sit-in” idea spread through the South.  … Read MoreStudent Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, SNCC (1960-1973)

Nation of Islam (1930– )

During the summer of 1930 street vendor Wallace D. Fard appeared in Detroit, Michigan’s Paradise Valley community, proclaiming himself to be the leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI) and proselytizing among his customers according to his Islamic beliefs. Fard’s doctrine revolved around the claim … Read MoreNation of Islam (1930– )

Alessandro de’ Medici (1510-1537)

Alessandro de’ Medici, called “Il Moro” (“The Moor”), was born in the Italian city of Urbino in 1510. His mother was an African slave named Simonetta who had been freed. Alessandro’s paternity is uncertain.  Most sources name Lorenzo de’ Medici, ruler of Urbino. But Alessandro … Read MoreAlessandro de’ Medici (1510-1537)

Jacobus Elisa Johannes Capitein (ca. 1717-1747)

As one of the first known sub-Saharan Africans to study at a European university, the freed slave Jacobus Capitein became a celebrity in Holland for his academic and religious achievements and later returned to his homeland to evangelize the indigenous population. Capitein was born on … Read MoreJacobus Elisa Johannes Capitein (ca. 1717-1747)