Ceiling of Debre Birhan Selassie church, Gondar, Ethiopia. Photo: Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence · Source
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
République Algérienne, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1918 Ahmed Ben Bella, revolutionary leader of the Algerian War of Independence who became the first President of Algeria, was born on 25 December 1918 in Maghnia; his official records showed 1916 after his father added two years to his age.
Sources: The New York Times ; Encyclopedia of World Biography (Gale), via Encyclopedia.com
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
Birth
Adolphe Duperly, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1831 The Baptist War, also known as the Great Jamaican Slave Revolt, began as up to 20 percent of Jamaica's enslaved population mobilized for freedom.
Sources: Understanding Slavery Initiative ; COVE (Collaborative Organization for Virtual Education)
Read the full article: The Baptist War: Jamaica's 1831 Christmas Rebellion
History
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1935 Sadiq al-Mahdi, who twice served as Prime Minister of Sudan and led the Umma Party, was born.
Sources: Club de Madrid ; St John's College, Oxford
BirthUTA Flight 141 crashed at Cotonou Airport in Benin shortly after takeoff, killing 141 people.
Sources: Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives ; Al Jazeera
Tragedy
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1886 Malak Hifni Nasif, pioneering Egyptian feminist writer and early advocate for women's education, was born.
Sources: Encyclopedia.com (Gale, Dictionary of Women Worldwide) ; Radical Tea Towel
Birth