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1836

On his historic scientific voyage on the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin visits Cape Town, South Africa, and finds, “There was very little of interest.” Exploring beyond the town, he notes in his diary, “I never saw a much less interesting country.”

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1836

1879

Pursuing African adventures again proves disastrous for France’s House of Bonaparte. Napoleon failed in his costly, bloody attempt to conquer Egypt early in the century. Today, Napoleon IV is killed by Zulu warriors in a skirmish as he fights for the British in the Anglo-Zulu War in South Africa. (pic: a painting fantasises his last moments: gun versus spears). As the last of the Napoleonic dynasty, his death ensures that the House of Bonaparte will never again rule France.

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1879

1926

The first edition of The Daily Times is published in Lagos, British Nigeria. Its editor and board chairman will become activists for nationalism. Within a decade, the Daily Times will dominate the country’s advertising, and by the 1970s will be one of Africa’s most successful locally-owned businesses.

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1926

1940

The first unit of South African soldiers arrives in Mombasa, Kenya to assist the British East African campaign against fascist Italy and Nazi Germany during World War II.

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1940

1952

Aloys Bigirumwami is installed as Africa’s first black Catholic Bishop, after his appointment by Pope Pius XII. He is ordained Bishop today at a ceremony attended by King Mutara Rudahigwa, civil as well as church leaders, and a large crowd. He will draw converts to the Catholic faith not by condemning local customs but by understanding the people’s needs.

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1952

1960

Radio Zulu offically begins broadcasting in Durban, South Africa.

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1960

1963

Jomo Kenyatta is sworn-in as president of the autonomous Kenyan government, in the lead up to independence in December, 1963.

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1963

1963

The Kenya Air Force is established.

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1963

1963

South Africa has a radio station broadcasting in isiXhosa when programming goes on the air in Grahamstown under the state South African Broadcasting Corporation. In response, and to counter the propaganda of the white minority government, the broadcast arm of the anti-apartheid liberation party the African National Congress starts Radio Freedom. ANC President Walter Sisulu introduces the first broadcast: “I come to you from somewhere in South Africa. Never has the country, and our people, needed leadership as they do now, in this hour of crisis. Our house is on fire.”

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1963

1982

A wave of arrests of Kenyan intellectuals opposed to the authoritative regime of Daniel arap Moi begins with the jailing of opposition politicians George Anyona (pic) and Oginga Odinga. As the crackdown widens, progressive scholars flee the country.

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1982

1994

Now a democratic country, South Africa rejoins the British Commonwealth of Nations.

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1994

1996

Egyptian Satellite TV Channel 2 begins broadcasting as a pay to view service.

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1996

2002

Construction begins in Djibouti on Camp Lemonneir, the first U.S. military base on African soil, on a site originally built and occupied by the French 5th Overseas Task Force. The camp’s 88-acre site will be expanded to 500 acres in 2007.

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2002

2005

South Africa President Thabo Mbeki (pic: with U.S. President George W. Bush) travels to the U.S. for a one-day working visit to discuss trade, security and other bilateral issues.

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2005

2020

The city of Rabat, Morocco puts giant facemasks on the front of its tram trains as a way to remind the riders of the requirement to wear facemasks in public against the Covid-19 pandemic. The humorous gesture gets international attention.

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2020

Births

1837
Hillary Richard Wright Johnson

The first president of Liberia (1884-1892) who was born in Liberia, in Monrovia, Liberia. All ten previous presidents were U.S.-born colonists who arrived with the America Colonization Society to settle Liberia. His mother founded the settlement at Cape Mesurado. He was elected to the presidency four times.

1943
Kuki Gallmann

Kenyan environmentalist, in Treviso, Italy. A nationalised Kenyan, she dedicated her life to conservation, first on her family farm and then with other initiatives throughout the country. Her tragedy-filled autobiography I Dreamed of Africa was an international best-seller.

1944
Guy Scott

Acting President of Zambia (2014-2015), in Livingstone, Northern Rhodesia. As Zambia’s Vice President, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Michael Sata, and was the only white person to lead a sub-Saharan African country in the post-Colonial period.