On this day: July 25 in African history

Habib Osman, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Tunisia abolished its monarchy and proclaimed a republic, with Habib Bourguiba becoming its first president. Tunisia had already gained independence from France the previous year, on March 20, 1956.

Sources: South African History Online ; Nawaat

Houcemmzoughi badoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed his prime minister and froze parliament, seizing sweeping executive powers.

Sources: Human Rights Watch ; The Times of Israel

Habib Osman, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Tunisia's monarchy was abolished when King Muhammad VIII al-Amin was replaced by President Habib Bourguiba, making Tunisia a republic.

Sources: South African History Online ; Nawaat

Four members of the Azanian People's Liberation Army threw hand grenades and opened fire on the congregation at St James Church in Kenilworth, Cape Town, killing eleven people and wounding 58. Four of the dead were Russian sailors attending as guests of the church. One of the attackers, Gcinikhaya Makoma, was convicted of the eleven murders and jailed for 23 years. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission granted the men amnesty in 1998.

Sources: South African History Online ; Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa

Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed

Israel completed the second stage of its phased withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula under the Egypt-Israel peace treaty, handing over a 6,000-square-kilometre region of western Sinai, including the Bir Naseb oasis, to Egypt.

Sources: The Detroit Jewish News (JTA wire, via Bentley Historical Library digital archive) ; Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)

Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed

Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Iman, the Somali-born supermodel and actress who became one of the first African models to achieve global fame, was born in Mogadishu.

Sources: Biography.com ; Carnegie Corporation of New York

Guillaume Paumier, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Beji Caid Essebsi, Tunisia's president who oversaw its democratic transition after the Arab Spring, died in Tunis.

Sources: France 24 ; The National