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 1855 Kassa Hailu was crowned Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia, launching a period of modernization and centralization.
Sources: Centre francais des etudes ethiopiennes (CFEE) - 'Un oeil sur la Corne' ; Encyclopaedia Britannica
History
CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Nelson Mandela was released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town after 27 years as a political prisoner.
Sources: SAnews (South African Government News Agency) ; Nelson Mandela Foundation ; History of Government blog (UK National Archives / No.10 Downing Street)
Read the full article: Nelson Mandela Walks Free: February 11, 1990
Politics
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons The Egyptian revolution culminated in the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak after 18 days of mass protests.
Sources: The Guardian ; BBC News
Politics
CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons 2014 A military transport plane crashed in a mountainous area of Oum El Bouaghi Province, Algeria, killing 77 people.
Sources: BBC News ; NBC4 Washington
Tragedy
CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 1975 Richard Ratsimandrava, President of Madagascar, was assassinated just six days after taking office.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; Indep Reporter (Madagascar)
Death
CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 2024 Kelvin Kiptum, Kenyan marathon world record holder, died in a car crash.
Sources: World Athletics ; BBC News
DeathJohn Salako, Nigerian-English international footballer, was born.
Sources: England International Database (englandstats.com) ; England Football Online ; Crystal Palace FC
Birth