Activist Malcolm X announced his departure from the Nation of Islam, a sect of Islam that preached Black self-determination, following a rift with NOI leader Elijah Muhammad on this day in 1964.
He remained a Muslim and later founded the more inclusive Organization of African Unity.
Tragically, Malcolm X would be assassinated on February 21, 1965 as he was preparing to give an address at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem.  He was 39.

Malcolm's death has been detailed in the Netflix series Who Killed Malcolm X?, which has caused a reinvestigation into his assassination. 

Bettmann / Contributor