Lawrence Douglas Wilder (born January 17, 1931) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 66th Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. He was the first African American to serve as governor of a U.S. state since the Reconstruction era, and the first African American ever elected as governor.Born in Richmond, Virginia, Wilder graduated from Virginia Union University and served in the United States Army during the Korean War. He established a legal practice in Richmond after graduating from the Howard University School of Law. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilder won election to the Virginia Senate in 1969. He remained in that chamber until 1986, when he took office as the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, becoming the first African American to hold statewide office in Virginia. In the 1989 Virginia gubernatorial election, Wilder narrowly defeated Republican Marshall Coleman.
Wilder left the gubernatorial office in 1994, as the Virginia constitution prohibits governors from seeking re-election. He briefly sought the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination, but withdrew from the race before the first primaries. He also briefly ran as an independent in the 1994 Virginia Senate election before dropping out of the race. Wilder returned to elective office in 2005, when he became the first directly elected mayor of Richmond. After leaving office in 2009, he worked as an adjunct professor and founded the United States National Slavery Museum.
1990Jan, 13
Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor as he takes office in Richmond, Virginia.
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Events on 1990
- 2Aug
Gulf War
Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War. - 8Aug
Gulf War
Iraq occupies Kuwait and the state is annexed to Iraq. This would lead to the Gulf War shortly afterward. - 23Aug
Gulf War
Saddam Hussein appears on Iraqi state television with a number of Western "guests" (actually hostages) to try to prevent the Gulf War. - 28Aug
Kuwait
Iraq declares Kuwait to be its newest province. - 28Nov
Margaret Thatcher
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher resigns as leader of the Conservative Party and the prime ministry, and is succeeded as both by John Major.