Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
We are adding a source to every entry in this archive. 1 of 4 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.
CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons 1997 An armed group attacked the village of Thalit, near Ksar Boukhari south of Algiers, over the night of 3 to 4 April, killed more than 50 of its inhabitants and burned the houses. Reports at the time said one villager survived. The attackers were not identified and no group claimed the killings.
Sources: Justice Commission for Algeria ; Human Rights Watch
History
Nobel Foundation (photo by Bernie Faingold) — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech, 'I've Been to the Mountaintop,' in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before his assassination.
Culture
Jeff Egnaczyk, derivative by Lpdrew — CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons 1975 Michael Olowokandi, Nigerian-born basketball player who became the first overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, was born in Lagos, Nigeria.
Birth
Sahmejil — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1978 John Smit, South African rugby union player who captained the Springboks to victory in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
Birth