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Founding of the African National Congress
The African National Congress (ANC) is South Africa's governing party. The organisation was initially founded as the South African Native National Congress (SANNC) on 8 January 1912 in Bloemfontein, with the aim of fighting for the rights of black South Africans. The organization was renamed the ANC in 1923. -
Congress Youth League
The youth wing of the ANC. Youth League had gained control of the African National Congress. It called for civil disobedience and strikes in protest at the hundreds of laws associated with the new apartheid system. These protests were often met with force by the South African Government. In 1950, 18 blacks were killed during a walkout. -
Definace Campaign
The post period saw the African National Congress (ANC) abandoning its traditional reliance on tactics of moderation such as petitions and deputations. For the first time Africans and Indians, with a few whites and coloureds were engaging in joint political action under a common leadership. -
Sharpeville Massacre
About 180 black Africans were injured and 69 killed when South African police opened fire on approximately 300 demonstrators, who were protesting against the pass laws. -
Albert Luthuli wins the Nobel Pace Prize
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the struggle against apartheid. The South African government however, refused to allow Luthuli to leave the country to accept the award until December 1961 -
Steve biko sentenced life in prison
because he was part of the anti-apartheid group -
The soweto uprising
On that day a protest by black African children in the country ended when police fired guns at them. The government said 95 people - some of them children - were killed. It's thought more than 500 people died. At the time the South African government had a law called apartheid, which meant black people had fewer rights than white people and had to live separate lives from them. -
Desmond Tutu wins Nobel Peace Prize
Desmond Tutu, South African priest, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role as a unifying leader figure in the campaign to resolve the problem of apartheid in South Africa. He worked against South Africas government policy of racial separateness. -
Nelson Mandela was released from prison
South African president F.W. de Klerk removed the ban on the African National Congress and released him. -
Nelson Mandela becomes president of South Africa
was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election.
As president, he frequently gave priority to reconciliation, while introducing policies aimed at combating poverty and inequality in South Africa