Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1781 Captain Thomas Shirley opened his expedition against Dutch colonial outposts on the Gold Coast of Africa, in present-day Ghana.
Colonial HistoryOn this day — February 18 in African history
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
We are adding a source to every entry in this archive. 0 of 6 on this page carry one so far. The rest were written before per-entry citations were recorded, so if you intend to rely on one, check it independently until its source appears here. See our sourcing methodology.
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1781 
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1900 Imperial forces suffered their worst single-day loss of life on 'Bloody Sunday', the first day of the Battle of Paardeberg during the Second Boer War.
Battle
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1957 Kenyan rebel leader Dedan Kimathi, a commander of the Mau Mau uprising, was executed by the British colonial government.
Death
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1965 The Gambia became independent from the United Kingdom.
Independence
CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons 1977 Soldiers raided the Kalakuta Republic commune of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, leading to fatal injuries for his mother, activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
DeathNana Amba Eyiaba I, Ghanaian queen mother and traditional-leadership advocate, was born.
Birth