Rainilaiarivony, Madagascar’s greatest prime minister, is put under house arrest by the French following their invasion of the country. France had demanded that as head of government he accept France’s control of Madagascar as a French Protectorate. When he refused, and broke off diplomatic relations, France responded with a heavy artillery bombardment of Antananarivo, until Rainilaiarivony surrendered. (pic: Rainilaiarivony inspects Malagasy troops at the Rova royal compound in Antananarivo)

Kimberley, South Africa’s municipal power station is officially opened to supply electricity to private homes and shops.

The Battle of Mahiwa is fought between Britain’s Nigerian and South African troops and the Imperial German army in German East Africa. “The most savage battle in the history of African conflict-not excluding Omdurman or any engagement of the Boer War” – ends badly for British forces, who withdraw after 2,700 soldiers are killed or wounded. However, Germany has 600 men killed or wounded – a third of its force – and will continue fighting from a weakened position.

England’s Imperial Airways extends its transcontinental air service from Khartoum, Sudan to Kano, Nigeria with a final leg to Lagos, Nigeria.

The fifth Pan-African Congress is held in Manchester, England. Co-organised by Kwame Nkrumah (pic: seated far right) of Gold Coast (Ghana), the congress agrees to form a United States of Africa, replacing colonial rule with independent socialist countries. Also in attendance are independence leaders Hastings Banda of Nyasaland (Malawi), Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Obemi Awolowo of Nigeria, and W.E.B. Du Bois from the U.S.

Ben Bella (pic: centre), Algeria’s first Prime Minister shortly after Algeria achieves independence, meets with U.S. President John Kennedy (pic: left) in Washington. As a U.S. Senator in 1957, Kennedy voiced support for Algerian independence, and was one of the first world leaders with congratulations when independence was achieved.

The President of Upper Volta (Burkina Faso), Aboubakar Sangoulé Lamizana, meets U.S. President Richard Nixon in Washington. He is successful on his mission, and receives famine and drought aid for Africa’s Sahel region.

A U.N. Mission to Spanish Sahara (Western Sahara) reports back to the U.N. that there is “overwhelming interest in independence” amongst the Saharawi people, despite claims by Mauritania and Morocco that the territory belongs to those countries.

Burkina Faso President and charismatic Pan-Africanist leader Thomas Sankara is assassinated in a coup d'état organised by his deputy Blaise Compaoré. Compaoré will take over the country. He will be tried and sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2022 for killing Sankara.

As international and domestic pressure mounts to end South Africa’s racist apartheid regime, anti-apartheid activists are released from long imprisonments: Walter Sisulu (pic), Ahmed Kathrada, Raymond Mhlaba, Andres Mlangeni and Elisa Motsoaledi, after each has spent 26 years on Robben Island and Pollsmoor Prison; Wilton Mkwaya, imprisoned for 25 years; Oscar Mpetha, six years in prison; and Jafta Masemola, after 27 years’ imprisonment.

The First Liberian Civil War, begun in 1989, defies resolution. Rebel leader Charles Taylor begins an assault on Monrovia. The siege of the capital will last two months.

Algerian-born Claude Cohen-Tannoudji is awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for innovative use of laser lights to cool and thus slow down atoms for observation.

The Namibian parliament, controlled by SWAPO, the political party of President Sam Nujoma, amends the constitution to permit Nujoma to run for a third term. (pic: campaign poster)

Supported by 18 columns shaped like giraffes, the Mbombela Stadium opens in Mbombela, South Africa, after 5.5 million man hours of construction. The rugby-football facility will host soccer matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.