France begins a large military operation in Algiers, with the French fleet of King Charles X arriving off the coast of the Deylik of Algiers, a province of the Ottoman Empire. 103 warships and 464 transport ships carry 37,612 soldiers prepare to invade the country.
Off the coast of Kongo (Democratic Republic of Congo), the U.S. slave ship Falmouth is the last ship captured by the U.S. Navy (by the S.S. Sumpter) in patrols to end the Atlantic Slave Trade. All U.S. Navy ships are now reassigned to fight the American Civil War.
Britain takes command of Zanzibar as a protectorate, allowing the Sultan to continue his rule under certain conditions, such as British approval of candidates to replace deceased sultans.
West Africa’s regional airline Elders Colonial Airways grounds all flights and ceases operations because of the wartime emergency of World War II. Its flying boats will never fly again. After the war, a new airline, West African Airways, will begin serving the region, with a new generation of aircraft.
Seychelles, a quiet British protectorate of about 30,000 inhabitants, listens to its first radio broadcast, as Governor W.M. Logan addresses a parade assembled on Gordon Square on Mahé Island (pic). Only people with radios in the immediate vicinity and ships at sea hear him speak, using the Eastern Telegraph's "Colset" TFS12 transmitter. Regular radio broadcasting will not begin in Seychelles for another 22 years, in 1965.
Air Mauritius, national airline of Mauritius, is established, using small planes to provide transportation to the country’s many islands, and promote tourism. Rental aircraft are used until a Piper Navajo plane is purchased from Air Madagascar in 1972.
The people of Upper Volta (Burkina Faso) approve a new constitution. However, problems arise, and a new constitution is written in 1977, allowing open elections in 1978.
South African forces invade Botswana and attack the offices of uMkhonto we Sizwe, the militant wing of the banned anti-apartheid party the African National Congress. Of the 12 people killed, including women and children, only five are ANC members. The international response will be harsh. The U.S. will recall its ambassador to South Africa.
South Africa’s President Nelson Mandela meets with the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation Yasser Arafat, and they announce a Palestinian embassy will open in South Africa. Arafat's advisor on African affairs, Salman al-Hirfi, will be the Palestinian ambassador.
Egypt’s legislature approves a deal made by President el-Sisi to hand over two Red Sea islands, Tiran and Sanafir, to Saudi Arabia. The deal is controversial. Critics accuse el-Sisi is accused of “selling” to the Saudis Egyptian sovereignty over the islands.
Uganda’s Brian Gitta becomes the youngest recipient of the British Royal Academy for Engineering's Africa Prize, for his invention of the Matiscope, which can test for malaria without need of a blood sample. Of the 280 million malaria cases worldwide in 2018, 93% are in Africa. Gitta will also receive the Rolex Award for Enterprise, and other honours.
South African patroness of the arts, in Cape Town, Cape Colony. Seeking to establish South Africa’s first art museum, using her husband’s mining money, she began to collect both contemporary artists - purchasing work by Monet, Pissarro and Sisley in Europe - and indigenous furniture and art, all with an aim to exhibit the collection. She co-founded the Johannesburg Art Gallery and the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Witwatersrand.
Congolese musician, in Lubefu, Belgian Congo. The “King of African Rhumba” transcended nationality, and became one of Africa’s most popular musicians.
