Leaders of 32 independent African states meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia founded the Organisation of African Unity, the event commemorated across the continent as Africa Day.
IndependenceOn this day — May 25 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 8 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.
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1969 Colonel Gaafar Nimeiry led the 'May Revolution' military coup that overthrew Sudan's civilian government, beginning sixteen years of his rule.
Politics
Eric Beauchemin — CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons A military coup in Sierra Leone ousted elected President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and installed Major Johnny Paul Koroma.
Politics
Amanda Lucidon / White House — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1965 Yahya Jammeh, who later ruled the Gambia as president for 22 years, was born.
Birth
Erik van Leeuwen, attribution: Erik van Leeuwen (bron: Wikipedia). — GFDL, Wikimedia Commons 1982 Ezekiel Kemboi, Kenyan runner and three-time Olympic steeplechase medalist, was born.
Birth
Ultraslansi — CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 1985 Demba Ba, Senegalese international footballer, was born.
Birth
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1983 Idris, the only king Libya has had, died in Cairo. Officers led by Muammar Gaddafi deposed him in 1969 while he was abroad, and Egypt gave him asylum for the rest of his life.
Sources: BlackPast ; The Washington Post
DeathJoetha Collier, a Black Mississippi high school graduate, was fatally shot hours after her graduation ceremony, a killing that drew national civil rights attention.
Civil Rights