Portuguese captain Diogo Cão meets his benefactor Portugal’s King John II in Lisbon after returning from his exploration of Africa’s western coast south of the Equator. He reports that he came across the mouth of the Congo River, and sailed as far south as what will become Angola. He presents the king with four Congolese men that he brought back with him, designating them as “Africa’s ambassadors to Europe.”

The Entende Cordiale (Cordial Agreement) is reached between Britain and France, ending a thousand years of rivalry and warfare between the two countries. Specific to Africa, the agreement recognises Britain’s authority over Egypt and France’s authority over Morocco, redraws the map of Nigeria to place more territory in France’s neighbouring colonies, and recognises France’s power over the upper Gambia valley. No Africans are involved in the making of the agreement.

South Africa’s Industrial Conciliation Act goes into effect, prohibiting black South Africans from joining trade unions, and ensuring they have no remedy against poor pay and working conditions.

The release of the British film Sanders of the River, a salute to British colonial officers in Africa. To earn money as a student in London, Jomo Kenyatta, the future Kenyan independence leader and president, worked as an extra on the production. The film is a commercial and critical hit with white viewers, but its star, Paul Robeson, is bitterly disappointed in the production, and remarks, “It shows the African as savage and childish.”

With the fall of the port city Massawa, thanks to Indian and Free French forces doing much of the fighting, Britain finishes taking Eritrea from Italy, which occupied the country in 1935.

Ethiopian Air Lines (EAL) begins operations with its first flight from Addis Ababa to Cairo, Egypt via Asmala, Eritrea. A Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft flies both passengers and cargo.

The Ngwane National Liberatory Congress is formed to seek independence for Swaziland (Eswatini). Once independence is achieved, the party will stand in the way of King Sobhuza II’s insistence on absolute governing authority, and is banned in 1973 when the country becomes an absolute monarchy.

In a referendum by a near unanimous 91% vote, the people of France approve the Évian Accords for Morocco’s independence.

The Battle of Kampala rages at the conclusion of the Uganda-Tanzania war. Tanzania’s 208th Brigade takes Entebbe Airport, effectively ending the Uganda Army Air Force by destroying all its aircraft. Hundreds of Ugandan Air Force personnel surrender. Mass desertions throughout the Ugandan army occur. Thousands of Libyan soldiers sent by Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi to aid Ugandan dictator Idi Amin panic and flee. Many are captured by civilians and turned over to the Tanzanians, or outright killed.

A Mutual Defense Agreement is signed between Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia (photo) and Zimbabwe. If one member state is attacked, the others pledge to come to that country’s assistance.

Puntland, an autonomous nation within the Somalia Federation, establishes a new provincial state, Gardafuul. This is the final of four new states (Karkaar, Haylaan and Ayi) carved out of existing provincial states.

Egypt's President el-Sisi and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman announce the Saudi-Egypt Causeway, a bridge to be built between their countries across the Red Sea. The US$4 billion bridge will pass through Tiran Island, which el-Sisi will give to Saudi Arabia next year, causing popular outrage amongst Egyptians.

Ethiopian Airlines celebrates its 75th anniversary from the date of its first commercial flight in 1946. Its fleet has grown from five to 127 aircraft, and it is the fourth largest airline in the world in terms of routes and destinations.