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.
European Communities, 1979, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 1971 Sierra Leone became a republic within the Commonwealth, with Siaka Stevens becoming the country's first executive president.
Sources: World Statesmen ; Encyclopaedia Britannica
Independence
Wang Yu Ching, Taiwan Office of the President, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 1968 Mswati III, who has reigned as King of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) since 1986, was born in Manzini.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; BlackPast.org
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
BirthThe Greek oil tanker Katina P was deliberately grounded north of Maputo, Mozambique, after suffering storm damage at sea, releasing an estimated 25,000 barrels of heavy fuel oil.
Sources: NOAA Office of Response and Restoration ; CEDRE (Centre of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution)
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
Disaster Wang Yu Ching, Taiwan Office of the President, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 2018 King Mswati III announced that Swaziland would officially change its name to Eswatini, meaning 'land of the Swazis,' to mark 50 years of independence.
Sources: Deutsche Welle ; NPR ; The Guardian (AFP)
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
Culture