After five days bombarding Algiers in an attempt to stop Barbary Coast pirates from harassing Spanish ships, and firing 3,732 mortar shells and 3,833 rifle rounds, Spain’s fleet departs. Its mission is a failure. Algiers refuses to surrender.

Edmond Albius dies in poverty in Sainte-Suzanne, Réunion, after creating the means to grow what will become a multi-billion dollar vanilla industry. Born into slavery and uneducated, the self-taught horticulturalist and child genius at the age of 12 discovered a way to overcome the vanilla plant's inability to pollinate outside of its native Mexico. Only after his death was his technique applied, in Madagascar. In 2023, Madagascar provided 90% of the world’s natural vanilla.

Lewanika, the Litunga (king) of Barotseland (Zambia), is the only non-European or non-Indian royal and the only African leader to attend the coronation in England of King Edward VII. He is treated with respect by the British press. Prior to his private audience with King Edward, he tells reporters, “When we kings meet we always have plenty to talk about.”

Thousands of South African women engage in the Women’s March, to Pretoria’s governmental Union Buildings. They are protesting pass laws that restrict the movement of black women under apartheid.

Libya’s deadliest air disaster to date occurs when a Central African Airways plane crashes near Benina International Airport at Benghazi, killing 36 of 54 people on board.

The newly-independent Democratic Republic of Congo is quickly disintegrating. Today, the mining state of South Kasai is declared an independent state by Albert Kalonji (pic), leader of the Congolese National Movement/Minority party. Four weeks ago, another mining province, Katanga, seceded. The breaking apart of DRC sees a situation that began as a relatively minor revolt by disgruntled soldiers expand into a full-scale, multi-front civil war and international conflict, pitting DRC against its former colonial ruler Belgium.

British pop star Paul McCartney and his group Wings arrive in Lagos, Nigeria to record the album Band on the Run at EMI studio. The song Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me) is recorded at the ARC studios run by ex-Cream drummer Ginger Baker, in the Lagos suburb Ikeja.

Nigeria wins its first women’s Olympics medals when Mary Onyali, Beatrice Utondu, Christy Opara-Thompson, and Faith Idehen capture bronze in the Women’s 4x100 metres relay at the Summer Olympic Games.

National Women’s Day is declared in South Africa. The annual national holiday honouring women’s role in overcoming the racist apartheid state commemorates the 1956 Women’s March on Pretoria.

The African Development Bank cancels a US$642 million debt owed by Tanzania so that the impoverished country can use its financial resources for economic development.

Botswana wins its first Olympics medal when Nijel Amos takes silver in the Men’s 800 metres at the Summer Olympic Games.