Every February, the nation observes Black History Month. Speeches are made, events are arranged and Google doodles are crafted to honor the stories and experiences of African-Americans in this country. But how exactly did February come to be Black History Month?

In 1926, Carter G. Woodson, a black historian, established the second week of February as a “Negro History Week,” since both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays fell during that period. Fifty years later, President Gerald Ford expanded it into a month-long national observance (Time). The country has been celebrating it ever since.

To celebrate Black History Month this year, West Side Story is proud to present a short timeline of major events in African-American history.