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.
CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 1881 The Battle of Majuba Hill took place during the First Boer War, resulting in a decisive Boer victory over British forces.
Sources: DITSONG Museums of South Africa ; South African Military History Society ; South African History Online
Battle
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1900 British military leaders received an unconditional surrender notice from Boer General Piet Cronjé at the Battle of Paardeberg in South Africa.
Sources: Canadian War Museum ; Britishbattles.com ; HistoryOfWar.org
Battle
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1976 The former Spanish territory of Western Sahara, under the Polisario Front, declared independence as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Sources: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian (FRUS) ; El Pais
Independence
OGL v1.0, Wikimedia Commons 1953 Ian Khama, who became the 4th President of Botswana, was born.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; BBC News ; GlobalSecurity.org
Birth
CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons 1987 Florence Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner and former half marathon world-record holder, was born.
Sources: World Athletics ; Runner's World
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
Birth
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 2019 France-Albert René, the 2nd President of Seychelles, died.
Sources: Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation ; Africanews
Death