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Thoroughgood Marshall is born in Baltimore, Maryland. He is the second son of William and Norma Marshall. He's named after his grandfather who, having grown up with only one name, entered the Union Army as both Thoroughgood and Thornygood. The family favored Thoroughgood more.
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The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is created. Marshall himself eventually assumes an important postition in the organization. Members take part in the fight for black rights, fighting to make a difference. The NAACP is an important organization in the struggle to end segregation.
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On April 10, the Titanic leaves England on her voyage to New York. Supposedly the safest ship ever built, she only carries 20 lifeboats. Unfortunately, on the night of the 14th, she hits an iceberg. The ship floods, and by the next morning, over 1.5 thousand people are lost.
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This is the beginning of the first World War. The extremely bloody battle is centered in Western Europe. Millions die in the "War to End All Wars," and the battle lasts for 5 years. This is one of the bloodiest conflicts recorded in history.
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The New York Stock Market crashes, and the Great Depression begins. People suddenly find that they have no money. It is the beginning of a major economic crisis. The Depression lasts up until the beginning of World War II.
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Thurgood graduates from Lincoln University cum laude, or with honors. Lincoln is a college in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It's located near Oxford, around forty miles from Philadelphia. When Thurgood attended, it had an all-black student body.
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Thurgood graduates from Howard University at the top of his class. He also graduates magna cum laude, or with high honors. He now has the right to the letters LL.B. after his name, which means Bachelor of Laws. So when people write to him, they write Esq. after his name, a term of respect towards attorneys.
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Thurgood loses a Supreme Court murder case. Although the man accused isn't condemned for execution, he is given a sentence of decades in jail. This is only one of the losses that Thurgood suffers. Unfortunately, people treated blacks quite unfairly, even in court.
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The Japanese attack the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. Over 2,000 Americans are killed, and over 1,000 wounded. The attack is supposedly a preventive action to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with the planned actions of the Empire of Japan. The Americans are definitely startled, unexpecting the attack.
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Charlie Houston was a good friend and mentor to Thurgood. He taught Howard students to remain optimistic even during hopeless cases. He played a large role in the fight against segregation. Houston knew what a hard worker Thurgood was, and asked him to help on a NAACP case. Houston was the man who started it all.
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The Supreme Court votes 9 to 0 in favor of desegregation. Thurgood testified in this case. Although the Court orders rearguement, this is huge. It's the most important breakthrough of the twentieth century.
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Things get ugly with the Autherine Lucy case. When Lucy tries to integrate the University of Alabama, a mob attacks her. Whites don't like the idea of blacks attending the same schools as them. This is only one example of the violence that occurs as protest to integration and the ending of segregation.
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JFK is assassinated and Johnson takes over as the 36th president of the U.S. Johnson passes the most Civil Rights laws as President. He is an important character in the ending of segregation. Johnson especially helps to turn things around.
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After an offer from President Johnson, Thurgood accepts the job of solicitor general and is sworn in by Congress. He is the 33rd solicitor general of the U.S. With this job, Thurgood again gets the oppurtunity to fight for cicil rights. He successfully argues 14 out of only 19 cases for the government.
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Marshall is only 59 when he takes his seat behind the bench of the Supreme Court. Appointed by the president, he is the first black justice ever to be on the Court. This is a huge step for African-Americans during this time. Thurgood makes a huge impression on the rest of the world.
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Two years after retiring from the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall dies of heart failure. He's 84 years old. During his life, Thurgood made a huge impact on the rest of the world in his fight to end segregation. He was a very popular person during his time.
