SSgt Woodward, U.S. DoD — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1986 The United States launched Operation El Dorado Canyon, bombing raids against targets in Libya in retaliation for a Libyan-linked bombing of a Berlin discotheque.
HistoryOn this day — April 15 in African history
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
We are adding a source to every entry in this archive. 1 of 5 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.
SSgt Woodward, U.S. DoD — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1986 Opposition SPLA fighters took Bentiu in South Sudan and killed civilians sheltering at a mosque, the town hospital, a Catholic church and a World Food Programme compound. The UN mission reported more than 200 killed and over 400 wounded at the Kali-Ballee mosque alone, and a later investigation put the toll across the attacks at at least 353 killed and 250 wounded. People were picked out by ethnicity and nationality, many of them Sudanese traders from Darfur. A local radio station broadcast messages saying certain groups should leave the town and calling for sexual violence against women from rival communities.
History
Carl Van Vechten, Library of Congress — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1894 Bessie Smith, African-American blues singer known as the 'Empress of the Blues' and one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
BirthElizabeth Catlett, African-American and Mexican sculptor and printmaker renowned for her depictions of the Black experience, was born in Washington, D.C.
BirthJosia Thugwane, South African runner who became the first Black South African Olympic gold medalist by winning the marathon at the 1996 Atlanta Games, was born.
Birth