1974: Emperor Haile Selassie is Deposed in Ethiopia
The 44- year reign of Haile Selassie came to an end when he was deposed by the army. Selassie had begun his reign as an absolute monarch. However, during the…
1974: UN Orders South Africa Turn Over Protectorate of Namibia
The U.N. Security Council voted to give South Africa until May 30th 1975 to begin transferring power in Namibia to the Namibians. Ten days before the deadline, South African Premier…
1974-Guinea-Bissau Granted Independence by Portugal
After a military revolt in Portugal that brought a left-leaning government to power, the Portuguese government agreed to grant independence to Portuguese Guinea. The new country was renamed Guinea-Bissau and…
1973: Severe Drought Hundreds Perish
A seven-year drought in sub-Saharan Africa brought starvation to 100,000 people in the countries of Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Burkina Faso. (HC)
1971: Idi Amin Seizes Power in Uganda
In January, while the Ugandan President Milton Obote was out of the country, Colonel Idi Amin staged a coup to oust the President. Amin soon began a reign of terror…
1970: Biafra Capitulates Ending Civil War
A civil war in Nigeria lasted for three years. Most countries in Africa supported the central government because of the fear of a similar breakup in their respective countries. “The…