On July 10, the area entered the history books when the mercury climbed to a blistering 134 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius) at Furnace Creek, California, breaking the record for the highest temperature ever recorded.
Carl Stokes, the first black mayor of a major American city: Black History Month. View full sizePlain Dealer file photoCarl Stokes, shown in 1968 in downtown Cleveland, focused many of his efforts as mayor on improving city services and helping Cleveland's poorest residents.
In fact, blacks have been in San Antonio since the early 1500s, when Africans were brought to the area by the Spaniards. Many of them were freed by the late 1700s and began making inroads into San Antonioâs society. Whoâs Who: The cityâs first black mayor, Victor Blanco, was elected in 1809. And William E. Goyens, an escaped slave, became the first black Texas millionaire.