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On this day — November 16 in African history

Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.

Today
Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian novelist often called the father of the African novel and best known… Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1930

Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian novelist often called the father of the African novel and best known for "Things Fall Apart," was born in Ogidi, eastern Nigeria.

Birth
Sultan Mohammed V returned triumphantly to Morocco from exile, greeted by jubilant crowds two day… CC0, Wikimedia Commons 1955

Sultan Mohammed V returned triumphantly to Morocco from exile, greeted by jubilant crowds two days before he announced the end of the French protectorate.

Politics
South African President F.W. de Klerk announced that whites-only beaches would be opened to all r… CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 1989

South African President F.W. de Klerk announced that whites-only beaches would be opened to all races, an early step toward dismantling apartheid.

Politics