On this day — October 27 in African history

At the Battle of Segale, forces loyal to Empress Zewditu I defeated Negus Mikael, securing her hold on the Ethiopian throne.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo was renamed Zaire under President Mobutu Sese Seko's authenticity campaign.

Ahmed Timol, South African anti-apartheid activist, died after falling from a police interrogation room window; decades later a judge ruled he had been pushed by security police.

Oliver Tambo, South African lawyer and anti-apartheid leader who led the ANC in exile for decades, was born.

CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Nawal El Saadawi, Egyptian physician, psychiatrist and feminist author, was born.