Origins & Early Life

Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941 – August 28, 1955) was an African-American boy who, at 14 years old, was abducted and lynched in Mississippi in 1955. The brutality of his murder and the acquittal of his killers drew attention to the long history of violent persecution of African Americans in the United States. Till posthumously became an icon of the civil rights movement. Till was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

During summer vacation in August 1955, he was visiting relatives near Money, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region. Till spoke to 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant, the white, married proprietor of a local grocery store. Although what happened at the store is a matter of dispute, Till was accused of flirting with, touching, or whistling at Bryant. Till's interaction with Bryant, perhaps unwittingly, violated the unwritten code of behavior for a black male interacting with a white female in the Jim Crow–era South. Several nights after the encounter, Bryant's husband Roy and his half-brother J.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

W. Milam went to Till's great-uncle's house armed, and abducted Till, age 14. They beat and mutilated him before shooting him in the head and sinking his body in the Tallahatchie...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adnan Khayr Allah — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iraqi military officer and former Minister of Defense, closely connected to the ruling family.
• Alan Mullery — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iconic English footballer and manager known for his time at Fulham and Spurs.
• Alfonso XIII — Contemporary (Died in 1941) (1941): King of Spain (1886-1931), whose reign spanned constitutional crises and republican upheaval.
• Akira Toriyama — Contemporary (Born in 1955) (1955): Pioneering manga artist, creator of Dr. Slump and the global phenomenon, Dragon Ball.
• Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud — Contemporary (Born in 1955) (1955): Saudi billionaire, investor, and influential member of the House of Saud.
• Albert Einstein — Contemporary (Died in 1955) (1955): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for the theory of relativity and E=mc2.
• Adnan Khashoggi — Shared historical date (07-25 · Born) (1935): Saudi businessman and arms dealer, known as 'The Great Gatsby of the Middle East'
• Ben Hogan — Shared historical date (07-25 · Died) (1997): American golf legend whose skill and practice profoundly shaped the modern game.
• Al-Shafi'i — Shared historical date (08-28 · Born) (767): Founder of the Shāfiʿī school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence and jurist.
• Armie Hammer — Shared historical date (08-28 · Born) (1986): American actor known for roles in 'The Social Network' and 'Call Me by Your Name'
• 1941 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1941
• July 25 (07-25) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 25
• 1955 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1955
• August 28 (08-28) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on August 28