1978: NOAA announces gender-neutral hurricane naming system
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On Jan. 13, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Robert C. Weaver head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, making him the first African-American Cabinet member. In keeping with his vision for a Great Society, Johnson sought to improve race relations and eliminate urban blight. As many of the country’s African Americans lived in run-down inner-city areas, appointing Weaver was an attempt to show his African American constituency that he meant business on both counts. Prior to his appointment as HUD secretary, Weaver had advised the secretary of the interior and served as a special assistant with the Housing Authority during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. He had also served on the National Defense Advisory Commission and worked to mobilize black workers during World War II. From 1955 to 1959, Weaver served as rent commissioner for the state of New York, then went on to serve as head of the Housing and Home Finance Agency under President John F. Kennedy. As HUD’s senior administrator, Weaver expanded affordable housing programs and, in 1968, advocated for the passage of the Fair Housing Act.
(History.com)
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