Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
Ali Maow Maalin, a hospital cook in Merca, Somalia, developed the last known case of naturally occurring smallpox, a milestone toward the disease's global eradication.
Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; World Health Organization ; Global Polio Eradication Initiative
ScienceLaurent Gbagbo was sworn in as president of Cote d'Ivoire in the evening, a day after Gen. Robert Guei fled the country during protests over the disputed election, ending an almost ten-month period of military rule.
Sources: Human Rights Watch ; U.S. Department of State
PoliticsIbrahim Abboud, the Sudanese general who led Sudan's first military government from 1958 to 1964, was born.
Sources: Encyclopedia.com (Gale) ; Chr. Michelsen Institute
Birth
U.S. Department of State — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1961 Uhuru Kenyatta, who served as the fourth President of Kenya, was born.
Sources: BlackPast.org ; Encyclopaedia Britannica
BirthAhmad Baba al-Timbukti, Berber scholar and jurist of Timbuktu who authored more than 40 works, was born.
Sources: Muslim Heritage ; African Union Library
Birth
Library of Congress — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1871 Liberian President Edward James Roye was overthrown after his government's controversial foreign loan agreement sparked unrest; he died in disputed circumstances soon after.
Sources: Project Gutenberg ; LSE Research Online ; Library of Congress
Politics
Photo by Agence de presse Meurisse — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1902 Beryl Markham, English-born Kenyan aviator and author who became the first person to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic from east to west, was born.
Sources: JSTOR Daily ; Encyclopedia.com
Achievement
Photo by Sassy — CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons 1976 Florence Kasumba, Ugandan-German actress known for playing Ayo in Marvel's Black Panther films, was born.
Sources: Deutsche Welle ; Face2Face Africa
BirthSenzo Meyiwa, South African international goalkeeper and captain of Orlando Pirates, was shot and killed during a robbery at his girlfriend's home.
Sources: The Guardian ; Sky Sports ; Independent Online (IOL)
Death