On this day: October 24 in African history

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Northern Rhodesia gained independence from the United Kingdom and became the Republic of Zambia, with Kenneth Kaunda as its first president.

Sources: UK National Archives (legislation.gov.uk) ; Zambia Cabinet Office ; The Guardian

On the UN's 25th anniversary, the General Assembly's declaration described apartheid as "a crime against the conscience and dignity of mankind."

Sources: United Nations (Juridical Yearbook 1970) ; National Black Law Journal (UCLA eScholarship)

Jabulani "HHP" Tsambo, pioneering South African Motswako rapper, died in Johannesburg.

Sources: The Independent ; City Press ; South African History Online

Marjorie Joyner, the African-American businesswoman and educator who patented a machine for permanent hair waves in 1928, was born.

Sources: National Inventors Hall of Fame ; Lemelson-MIT Program

Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed

Photo by House Creative Services, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Kweisi Mfume, American congressman who later served as president and CEO of the NAACP, was born.

Sources: U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo) ; BlackPast.org

Unknown author, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Rosa Parks, American civil rights activist whose refusal to give up her bus seat sparked the Montgomery bus boycott, died.

Sources: National Women's History Museum ; Al Jazeera

Photo by Eckhard Pecher (Arcimboldo), CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, South African middle-distance runner and 2009 world champion in the 800 metres, died in a car accident.

Sources: World Athletics ; Olympedia (OlyMADMen) ; South African Government (gov.za)

Photo by Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Robert Guillaume, American actor who voiced Rafiki in The Lion King and starred in the sitcom Benson, died.

Sources: CNN ; Vanity Fair