This Day in African History -- Britain, France Bomb Egypt
Wednesday October 31, 2012
On 31 October 1956, following a 12 hour ultimatum to Egypt and Israel, British and French forces bombard military airfields near Cairo in the Suez Canal Zone. Colonel Nasser calls ... Read More
New on African History -- Resources on Malawi -- New in the African History Glossary
Tuesday October 30, 2012
New for Malawi 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 ... Read More
This Day in African History -- The Rumble in the Jungle
Tuesday October 30, 2012
The Rumble in the Jungle was the boxing match which took place on 30 October 1974 at the May 20 Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the ... Read More
70 Years Ago in African History – Operation Lightfoot, the Second Battle of El Alamein
Tuesday October 23, 2012
Rommel's forces had been brought to a standstill by an equally exhausted Eighth Army at El Alamein in July 1942. Rommel had made an attempt to cut through Allied lines ... Read More
60 Years Ago in African History – Jomo Kenyatta Arrested
Monday October 22, 2012
Following the assassination of Chief Waruhui (he was speared to death in broad daylight on a main road on the outskirts of Nairobi) and a month of open hostility, the ... Read More
This Day in African History -- Death of Explorer Sir Richard Burton
Saturday October 20, 2012
Richard Burton (1821-1890) was not only a great explorer but also a great scholar (he produced the first unabridged translation of The Thousand Nights and a Night). His most famous ... Read More
This Day in African History -- Start of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War
Thursday October 11, 2012
On the 9th of October 1899, Francis William Reitz, the Zuid Afrikaansche Repulick (ZAR, South African Republic or Transvaal) State Secretary handed an ultimatum to the British Agent Sir William ... Read More
50 Years Ago in African History -- Uganda Gains Independence.
Tuesday October 9, 2012
On 9 October 1962 Uganda gained independence (within the Commonwealth) from Britain. Apolo Milton Obote remained prime minister (he had taken the post on 30 April that year), Walter Fleming ... Read More
Desmond Tutu Turns 81
Sunday October 7, 2012
Desmond Tutu, the South African Anglican cleric, winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent anti-Apartheid role, and chairman of the TRC in late 1990s, celebrates his 81st ... Read More
This Day in African History -- Italy Occupies Tripoli
Friday October 5, 2012
In 1911 Tripolitania and Cyrenaica (now Libya) were the only territories in North Africa not under the control of European nations - they were part of the Ottoman Empire. On ... Read More
This Day in African History -- Italy Invades Abyssinia
Wednesday October 3, 2012
The fascist leader of Italy, Benito Mussolini, had long wanted an empire - but there were few opportunities left. Africa, except for one region, Abyssinia, had been carved up by ... Read More