On this day — August 1 in African history

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Dahomey (renamed Benin in 1975) gained independence from France, with Hubert Maga becoming its first president.

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The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 took effect across the British Empire, beginning the emancipation of enslaved people in British colonies including the Caribbean and the Cape Colony in southern Africa.

Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-G00372 — CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, Wikimedia Commons

The Berlin Summer Olympics opened; over the following days African-American athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals, publicly discrediting Nazi claims of Aryan racial superiority.

Junior officers of the Kenya Air Force attempted to overthrow President Daniel arap Moi's government in a coup that was put down within hours.

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Octavian's forces entered Alexandria, Egypt, effectively ending the Ptolemaic Kingdom and bringing the country under Roman control after his victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

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The Battle of the Nile began at Aboukir Bay, Egypt, as a British fleet under Horatio Nelson engaged and decisively defeated Napoleon's French fleet in a night action.

The former Belgian Congo was officially renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Puntland was established as a self-declared autonomous state in northeastern Somalia following a constitutional conference in Garowe.