Rear Admiral Lillian E. Fishburne becomes the first female African American to be promoted to rear admiral.
Lillian Elaine Fishburne (born March 25, 1949) was the first African-American female to hold the rank of Rear Admiral (RDML) in the United States Navy. She was appointed to the rank of Rear Admiral (Lower Half) by President of the United States Bill Clinton and was officially promoted on February 1, 1998. Fishburne retired from the Navy in February 2001.