Ceiling of Debre Birhan Selassie church, Gondar, Ethiopia. Photo: Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence · Source
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons Idi Amin proclaimed himself head of state and supreme commander of Uganda's armed forces, dissolved parliament and took the defence ministry, a week after the coup of 25 January that had deposed Milton Obote as he flew home from a Commonwealth summit in Singapore.
Sources: The Guardian ; Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
Politics
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons South African President F. W. de Klerk announced the unbanning of the African National Congress and promised the release of Nelson Mandela.
Sources: South African History Online ; BBC News
Politics
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1928 Gamal Hamdan, Egyptian scholar and geographer known for his influential work on Egypt's geography and character, was born.
Sources: Egypt State Information Service ; Egypt Today
Birth
CC BY 3.0 BR, Wikimedia Commons 1946 Alpha Oumar Konaré, who became the 3rd President of Mali and later chaired the African Union Commission, was born.
Sources: Africine (Federation panafricaine des cineastes) ; allAfrica
BirthLaurent Nkunda, Congolese military officer who later led rebel forces in the eastern DRC's Kivu conflict, was born.
Sources: RFI ; University of Antwerp, L'Annuaire de l'Afrique des Grands Lacs 2007-2008 ; United Nations Security Council
BirthKatoucha Niane, Guinean model and author known as the muse of Yves Saint Laurent, died.
Sources: The Guardian ; France 24
DeathMolade Okoya-Thomas, Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, died.
Sources: TheCable ; The Nation (Nigeria)
Death
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1989 South African President P. W. Botha resigned as leader of the National Party after suffering a stroke, though he remained state president for several more months.
Sources: South African History Online ; Nelson Mandela Foundation (O'Malley archive, chronology of 1989)
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
PoliticsCándido Muatetema Rivas, who became Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea, was born in Batete.
Source: Guinea Ecuatorial Press (Government of Equatorial Guinea)
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
Birth