On this day: October 26 in African history

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

Laurent 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

Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed

Ibrahim Abboud, the Sudanese general who led Sudan's first military government from 1958 to 1964, was born.

Sources: Encyclopedia.com (Gale) ; Chr. Michelsen Institute

Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed

U.S. Department of State, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Uhuru Kenyatta, who served as the fourth President of Kenya, was born.

Sources: BlackPast.org ; Encyclopaedia Britannica

Ahmad Baba al-Timbukti, Berber scholar and jurist of Timbuktu who authored more than 40 works, was born.

Sources: Muslim Heritage ; African Union Library

Library of Congress, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

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

Photo by Agence de presse Meurisse, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

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

Photo by Sassy, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Florence Kasumba, Ugandan-German actress known for playing Ayo in Marvel's Black Panther films, was born.

Sources: Deutsche Welle ; Face2Face Africa

Senzo 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)

Ethiopia and Italy signed a peace treaty at Addis Ababa which abrogated the Treaty of Wichale, recognised Ethiopia's sovereign independence and accepted the Mareb River as the frontier with Eritrea.

Sources: University of California Press ; Boydell & Brewer