Anefo — CC0, Wikimedia Commons 1961 Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the independent Democratic Republic of the Congo, was murdered by firing squad amid Belgian and American complicity.
DeathOn this day — January 17 in African history
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
Anefo — CC0, Wikimedia Commons 1961 
MONUSCO / Neil Wetmore — CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons 2002 Mount Nyiragongo erupted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sending lava through the city of Goma and displacing an estimated 400,000 people.
Science
Painting by William Barnes Wollen — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1885 A British force defeated a large Mahdist Dervish army at the Battle of Abu Klea in Sudan during the campaign to relieve Khartoum.
History
Ralf Roletschek — CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons 1940 Kipchoge Keino, Kenyan runner whose 1968 Olympic gold in the 1500m helped launch Kenya's distance-running dominance, was born.
Birth
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 2015 Faten Hamama, celebrated Egyptian actress often called the 'Lady of the Arab Screen', died at age 83.
DeathJohn Nkomo, Vice President of Zimbabwe and veteran liberation-movement politician, died at age 78.
Death
Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 3.0 2010 Rioting between Muslim and Christian groups broke out in Jos, Nigeria, resulting in at least 200 deaths.
Tragedy