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, Wikimedia Commons 1973 Akon, Senegalese-American singer, songwriter, and record producer known for hits including 'Smack That' and 'Lonely,' was born in St. Louis, Missouri.
Sources: Biography.com (A&E Television Networks) ; AllMusic
Birth
CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons 1985 Luol Deng, South Sudanese-British basketball player and two-time NBA All-Star, was born in Wau, Sudan (now South Sudan).
Sources: Sports Reference (Basketball-Reference.com) ; CNN
BirthBoko Haram fighters attacked a military patrol outside Baga in north-east Nigeria and killed a soldier. Soldiers returned with reinforcements and ransacked the town. Community leaders counted 183 bodies and about 2,000 burned homes, while the military put the destruction at 30 houses and blamed Boko Haram for setting the fires. Satellite images analysed by Human Rights Watch found 2,275 buildings destroyed and 125 more badly damaged.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
History
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 2013 Ali Kafi, who led Algeria's High Council of State from July 1992 to January 1994 after the assassination of Mohamed Boudiaf, died in Geneva. He held the post through some of the worst years of the civil war and was succeeded by Liamine Zéroual.
Sources: Arab News ; Tribune de Genève ; Jeune Afrique
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
Death
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 2014 Gyude Bryant, Liberian businessman who chaired the country's transitional government from 2003 to 2006 after the civil war, died in Monrovia.
Sources: Voice of America ; The New Dawn (Liberia)
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
Death