Roman Emperor Julius Caesar defeats Egypt’s co-ruler Ptolemy XII. Caesar names Ptolemy’s sister and co-ruler, Cleopatra, as sole ruler of Egypt.

Credited with bringing modern banking to West Africa, the British Bank of West Africa is founded in England. The first branches will be set up in Nigeria, followed by Sierra Leone, Gold Coast (Ghana) and Gambia.

The Battle of Keren ends with the defeat of Italy. The loss shatters Italian morale, and allows British forces to conclude the taking of Eritrea during World War II. 536 British and Commonwealth soldiers die in battle, while 3,000 Italian and 9,000 of their allied African Askari soldiers are killed.

A separate parliament is introduced in South Africa for mixed-race (“Coloured”) South Africans, elected by mixed-race voters and empowered to make laws affecting the Coloured community.

Libya’s ruler Muammar Gaddafi (right in pc with Uganda’s Idi Amin) warns Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere that if Tanzanian forces do not leave Uganda, where they are retaliating against dictator Amin’s invasion of Tanzania, within 24-hours, Libya will militarily support Amin. However, it is well known that 4,500 Libyan soldiers are already in Uganda. At the Battle of Lukaya on 11 March, 200 Libyan soldiers were killed. Gaddafi tries further intimidation by sending a bomber to blow up a Tanzanian fuel depot. The plane misses the target and bombs a game reserve, killing some giraffe. Tanzania retaliates by successfully bombing three Ugandan fuel depots.

For the first time, Morocco hosts the Africa Cup of Nations (16th edition). Zambia was supposed to host, but withdrew because of financial issues. Cameroon wins the championship.

Winnie Mandela, Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, is dismissed from her post. The announcement is made by her ex-husband President Nelson Mandela. She will remain a powerful politician as head of the Women's League of the African National Congress.

Uganda’s seven year-old rapper and singing sensation Fresh Kid (Patrick Sennyonjo) is warned by Uganda’s Minister of State for Youth and Children’s Affairs that he is violating child labour laws, and faces going to juvenile prison if he performs during school hours.

Biniam Girmay becomes first Eritrean and the first African to win a cycling World Tour race. He is the first to cross the finish line at the prestigious one-day Gent Wevelgem in Brussels, Belgium.