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.
We are adding a source to every entry in this archive. 5 of 6 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.
Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons 1964 Nelson Mandela and seven co-defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment at the Rivonia Trial for their roles in the armed anti-apartheid resistance.
Sources: Nelson Mandela Foundation ; South African History Online
Politics
Seiperi, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons 1993 Nigeria held a presidential election won by Moshood Abiola, results the military government of Ibrahim Babangida later annulled, triggering a prolonged political crisis.
Sources: Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training ; The Guardian Nigeria
PoliticsJean-Marie Doré, who later served as Guinea's prime minister during its 2009-2010 political transition, was born.
Birth
Paco Marí, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons 1932 Mamo Wolde, the Ethiopian runner who won Olympic gold in the marathon, was born.
Sources: Olympedia (OlyMADMen) ; World Athletics
BirthDan Jacobson, the South African-born novelist and critic who spent most of his working life in Britain, died in London at 85. He was born in Johannesburg on 7 March 1929.
Source: Britannica
DeathA boat carrying about 250 people back to Patigi in Kwara State from a wedding in neighbouring Niger State struck a submerged tree between three and four in the morning and broke in two. At least 106 people drowned and 144 were pulled out alive. Most of those aboard had been stranded by heavy rain and crowded onto the boat rather than ride back by motorcycle.
Sources: Africanews ; CNN
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
Disaster