January 8 San Francisco, Calif. […]

When

1978-01-08

Description

January 8 San Francisco, Calif. Harvey Milk was sworn in as the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, representing district five on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk served only eleven months in office, during which time he was responsible for passing a gay rights ordinance for the city, and was an inspiration to gay activists across North America. On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated at City Hall by former supervisor Dan White, one of the most shocking political killings in American history. Since then, Milk's memory has been kept alive through books, films, and even an opera. In August 2009, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Milk the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contribution to the gay rights movement. (See also March 21, 1978 , and November 27, 1978.)

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