10 September 1974 – Guinea-Bissau Granted Independence (de jure) by Portugal

Following Portuguese exploration in the 15th century, Portuguese Guinea finally became a colony in 1897. War for independence started in 1960, and a unilateral declaration of independence was made on 24 September 1973. Portugal grated the country independence on 10 September 1974. (It was the first Portuguese colony to gain independence.)

Find out more about the history of Guinea-Bissau:
• A Brief History of Guinea-Bissau: Part 1 – Early Kingdoms to Civil War
• A Brief History of Guinea-Bissau: Part 2 – Civil War to Present Day
• Guinea-Bissau History Resources

^{Image: ©2006 Alistair Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc}