New on African History -- Resources on Ghana -- New in the African History Glossary
Monday July 30, 2012
The war(s) between the British and the Ashanti were brought to an end in 1874 when the defeated King, Asantehene, signed a treaty with the British. The Gold Coast colony ... Read More
This Day in African History -- Death of John Garang de Mabior
Monday July 30, 2012
Colonel John Garang de Mabior was a Sudanese rebel leader, founder of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) which fought a 22 year civil war against the northern dominated, Islamist ... Read More
This Day in African History - Liberia Becomes a Republic
Thursday July 26, 2012
Liberia, where the American Colonization Society established the first settlement, Monrovia, in 1822 on land 'granted' by local rulers, became an independent republic with a constitution based on that of ... Read More
This Day in African History - Napoleon in Egypt
Wednesday July 25, 2012
Napoleon Bonaparte had invaded Egypt (landing 1 July 1798 at Aboukir and capturing Alexandria the next day) in order to damage Britain's trade and threaten India. Advancing towards Cairo, Napoleon ... Read More
21 July 1967 - Death of Chief Albert Luthuli
Saturday July 21, 2012
Chief Albert Luthuli, Africa's first Nobel Peace Prize winner and president of the ANC (until his death), died under mysterious circumstances when he was struck by a train on a ... Read More
This Day in African History - Former German Colonies in Africa Awarded as Mandates
Friday July 20, 2012
The League of Nations agreed on 20 July 1920 to award former German colonies (lost as a result of World War I) as mandates. Tanganyika (which formed the greater part ... Read More
Mandela Day - Nelson Mandela Celebrates his 94th Birthday
Wednesday July 18, 2012
Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, Nobel Laureate, and world acclaimed international statesman, celebrates his 94th birthday today. Find out more about his fascinating life the prominent role he ... Read More
17 July 1828 - Introduction of Ordinance 50 in the Cape
Tuesday July 17, 2012
Acting governor of the Cape, Sir Richard Borke, issues Ordinance 50, which repeals the Caledon Code of 1809 (which required all Khoi in the Cape to have a 'fixed place ... Read More
This Day in African History - Jean-Baptiste Marchand Reaches Fashoda
Tuesday July 10, 2012
Jean-Baptiste Marchand, French explorer and soldier, is best known today for his occupation of Fashoda, now known as Kodok, in the Sudan in 1898.
Marchand served in Senegal in 1889 ... Read More
South Sudan -- First Anniversary of a Republic
Monday July 9, 2012
The Republic of South Sudan came into existence on the 9th of July 2011, with the proclamation of independence being read out at 11.45 local (GMT +3), and the raising ... Read More
8 July 1497 – Vasco da Gama Begins Voyage Around Africa
Sunday July 8, 2012
July 8, 1479 Vasco da Gama departs Portugal as Commander-in-Chief of four ships, one of the others captained by his brother Paulo da Gama. Da Gama's fleet would sail down ... Read More
7 July 1940 – Formation of the Long Range Patrol, LRP
Saturday July 7, 2012
Although the official approval for Major Bagnold's new Unit, the Long Range Patrol, was only cabled from the War Office on 10 July, formation of the Unit began on 7 ... Read More
This Day in African History – Malawi Gains Independence Within the Commonwealth
Friday July 6, 2012
Livingstone's former "hunting ground" was under threat from the Portuguese and Arab slavers in the late 1880's when the resident Scottish missionaries and the African Lakes Company called on Rhodes ... Read More
Algerian Independence -- 50th Anniversary
Thursday July 5, 2012
The 5th of July is the official independence date for Algeria, made all the more special this year as it is the 50th anniversary. But the country was actually declared ... Read More
This Day in African History - Tom Mboya assassinated
Thursday July 5, 2012
Tom Mboya was a Kenyan trade unionist and statesman. Earmarked as Jomo Kenyatta's successor, Mboya was assassinated on 5 July 1969, six years into independence, sparking tribal unrest between Kenyatta's ... Read More
Europe's Scramble for Africa -- The Heligoland Treaty
Sunday July 1, 2012
What is the connection between an island in the North Sea and the reason why Mt Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania rather than Kenya? The answer lies in the Heligoland Treaty ... Read More