January 1891
Events
- 1891Daniel Hale Williams Founds Provident Hospital — First Interracial Hospital
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams founded Provident Hospital and Training School in Chicago in 1891, the first hospital in the United States to operate on an interracial basis and the first to train Black nurses. It provided quality medical care to Black Chicagoans denied access to other hospitals and became a model for Black health infrastructure nationwide.
- 1891Matthew Henson Joins Peary Arctic Expeditions
Matthew Henson joined Robert Peary's first Arctic expedition in 1891, beginning a partnership that included six polar expeditions. Henson learned Inuit languages, built sleds, and navigated terrain that made him indispensable. In 1909 he was among the first to reach the North Pole. He was awarded the Navy Medal in 1944 and a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously.
- 1891Isaac Murphy Wins Third Kentucky Derby, an Unprecedented Achievement
Isaac Murphy won his third Kentucky Derby aboard Kingman in 1891, a record for Derby victories that stood until Eddie Arcaro matched it in 1948. Murphy was the dominant jockey of the Gilded Age, known for his extraordinary race-craft and refusal to fix races — a rarity of integrity in an era of widespread corruption. He died of pneumonia in 1896 at approximately 35 years old.