Mighty empires are firmly established in Africa north of the Equator. The Bantu peoples are migrating to the south. Trade routes link the empires – Ghana, Mali and Songhay in West Africa; Ethiopia and Nubia in East Africa; and Kanem in Central Africa. However, this year another mighty dynasty emerges when Moez-ladin-Allah establishes control over the entire Mediterranean Coast of North Africa. Ruling from Cairo, the Fatimids (Egyptian caliphs) will take possession of Palestine and Syria, and an African power will rule over the Middle East for the next century.

The Battle of Samhud is fought by Muslim forces seeking to stop Napoleon Bonaparte’s conquest of Egypt. Against swords and lances, canon proves the decisive advantage for the French.

The Banque du Sénégal is established in Paris, as a private investment bank for Africa’s West African colonies. In 1901, the bank will evolve into the Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale (BAO or Bank of West Africa), which the French government will authorise to print money, and ultimately use to oversee a common regional currency. (pic: a bank branch in Dakar, French Senegal, around 1900)

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Africa’s first modern-era university is instituted with the name Egyptian University. It will later be named Cairo University.

The death from influenza of Mohammed Abdulla Hassan, at age 64 in Imi, Abyssinia, ends the Dervish Movement that he began in 1899. The movement was opposed by British and Italian powers, which the Dervishers wanted out of the Horn of Africa. Their enemy was also Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II. With World War I ended, Britain has been free to finish off the movement militarily, and has destroyed the Dervish forts. These were built by Hassan over nearly all the ancient lands of Somaliland that he reclaimed on his crusade.

Lightning strikes the French airship Dixmude over the Mediterranean Sea as it approaches French Algeria. The airship explodes, killing all 52 crewmembers on board.

Cape Town's trolley cars are replaced starting today with buses called Trackless Trams. They are powered by overhead electric cables.

Ethiopian Air Lines (EAL) is established as the national air carrier of Ethiopia. Landing rights are secured for routes to Egypt, French Somaliland (Djibouti), Saudi Arabia and Sudan.

The modern Embassy Theatre opens as Durban, South Africa’s new and best movie theatre. The Hollywood Fred Astaire musical Daddy Long Legs is the first feature film attraction. Because of apartheid laws of racial segregation, black South Africans are not allowed inside.

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One of the instigators of civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Moïse Tshombe, who proclaimed himself leader of the State of Katanga in 1960, gives in to military pressure from the U.N. He signs an agreement to recognise the central government, and agrees to re-integrate Katanga into the DRC.

In Rwanda, Tutsi rebels with China’s support mount an insurgency that seeks to overthrow President Grégoire Kayibanda (pic: left). He is a member of the Hutu majority whose policies have discriminated against the Tutsi people. The rebels will be defeated within days, and Kayibanda will launch a “cleansing” that kills 20,000 Tutsis by January 1964. Tutsi politicians will be exiled.

Militant fighters of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army cross into Rhodesia from Mozambique, led by Rex Nhongo (pic: front left), and conduct their first raids on commercial farms. The propaganda value of the incursion encourages recruits to join the guerillas.

Madagascar’s Second Republic begins with the passage of a national referendum approving Didier Ratsiraka’s governance, which follows the principals of socialist revolution and international non-alignment.

The Lancaster House Agreement is signed in London, ending the 15-year Rhodesia Bush War. Rhodesia’s white-minority government is dissolved, and the country is returned to British control until an election is held to determine a new government for what will become Zimbabwe.

Central African Republic’s military government tries to justify its ouster of the country’s first president to be elected freely and fairly, by framing him for the theft of 70 billion CAR francs. The baffled former President, Angie-Félix Patassé (pic), tells the media in France, where he is now exiled, that he doesn’t know where such an amount could come from, because the government’s annual budget is only 90 billion CAR francs.

Mauritius through launches its first satellite, a civilian communications satellite to bring voice, internet and data services throughout Africa.

Nigeria’s first newspaper, Iwe Irohin, published from 1859 to 1867, is revived by the Nigeria Union of Journalists as an attempt to make more journalists owners of newspapers. Nigeria has two other newspapers owned by journalists: National Mirror and Newswatch.

Angola launches its first satellite, AngoSat-1, from Russia, but with the control and mission centre in northern Luanda Province. The US$300 million communications satellite will be used for such tasks as transmitting medical data to doctors in remote areas.

Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni’s ambition to become President for Life is realised when the ruling party he heads changes the constitution to allow Museveni to stay in power until 2037, 51 years after he took office in 1986, and when he will be 93 years old.