1942, 1 July - World War II: North Africa
Hampered by sandstorms, General Erwin Rommel's PanzerArmee Afrika overrun an infantry brigade at Dier el Shein as his troops move towards El Alamein. In response staff at the British Embassy in Cairo and at various military HQ burn important documents - earning the day the name 'Ash Wednesday'.
1960, 1 July
Ghana, which gained independence on 6 March 1957 is declared a republic with Kwame Nkrumah as President. It will remain part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
1960, 1 July
Creation of the Somali Democratic Republic from two ex-colonial states: Somaliland (was British Somaliland, gained independence on 26 June 1960) and Somalia (was Italian Somalia, gained independence this day). Aden Abdullah Osman Daar becomes first president of the republic. The former British Somaliland seceded from the republic on 18 May 1991, but this remains unrecognized by the international community.
1962, 1 July
Burundi and Rwanda achieve independence from Germany. They had been past of the German colony Deutsche Ostafrika and then held as a UN trust territory since World War II.
