On this day in 1990 Douglas Wilder took the office of Governor of Virginia. He would be the first elected African American governor in American history. Currently Deval Patrick of Massachusetts is the only African American governor in  the United States and the second elected after Wilder.

Doug Wilder was Governor of Virginia from 1990-94. The last political office he held was that of Mayor of Richmond, Virginia 2005-09. Doug Wilder is now 81.