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Period: to
Sub-Saharan Africa
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Apartheid
Apartheid was a system of legal racial separation which dominated the Republic of South Africa from 1948 until 1993. Under apartheid, various races were separated into different regions, and discrimination against people of color was not only acceptable, but legally entrenched, with whites having priority housing, jobs, education, and political power. -
Nelson Mandela is arrested
Nelson Mandela is arrested with 156 other activists for supporting racial equality. This led to the 1956 Treason Trial, which ended in March 1961 when 30 accused, including Mandela, were acquitted. -
Ghana becomes independent
After years of suffering under British colonial rule, Prime Minister Nkrumah's Gold Coast government issued a white paper containing proposals for Gold Coast independence in May 1956. The British government agreed to a firm date for independence when a majority of British Togoland residents voted for unification with an independent Gold Coast. On March 6, 1957, the state of Ghana, named after the medieval West African empire, became the first African independent country within the Commonwealth -
Biafran-Nigerian War
The Biafran-Nigerian War broke out on 6 July 1967. The war was the culmination of an uneasy peace and stability that had plagued the Nation from independence in 1960.
1979: Rhodesia becomes Zimbabwe- led to the end of white minority government and the birth of majority rule in Zimbabwe Rhodesia -
Rhodesia becomes Zimbabwe.
This event led to the end of white minority government and the birth of majority rule in Zimbabwe Rhodesia. -
Pope John Paul II visits South Africa
This is the first time the pope has visited Africa. During his visit he again established himself as a strong defender of human rights, workers rights and religious freedom. He called for the creation of a new world economic order and a guarantee of workers rights. -
Carving up Africa
The "Carving up Africa" involved Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and the Dutch settlers in South Africa, the Boers. -
Juvénal Habyarimana is killed.
His plane was shot out of the sky as it approached Kigali airport. This event is extremely important because it signalled the start of the Rwandan Genocide. -
Rwandan Genocide
This was a genocidal manslaughter that took 500,000 lives over the course of 100 days. It was the culmination of long standing ethnic competition and tensions between the minority Tutsi, who had controlled power for centuries, and the majority Hutu peoples. -
World Cup
The World Cup was a large sporting event, which created a surge in South Africa’s economy and tourism.
