1935
May, Joint Select Committee of Parliament tables the Representation of Natives Bill and the Native Trust and Land Bill
October, Italy attacks Ethiopia December, Coloured radicals form National Liberation League
December 15-18, Professor D. D. T. Jabavu and Dr. Pixley ka I. Seme call meet­ing of the All African Convention (AAC)
1936
February, AAC deputation meets with Prime Minister J. B. M. Hertzog
March 30, United Transkeian Territories General Council supports retention of the Cape African franchise
April 7, Joint sitting of Parliament passes Representation of Natives Bill, 169-11; Native Trust and Land Bill becomes law in May
June 29””July 2, AAC reconvenes
1937
Natives (Urban Areas) Amendment Act
Native Laws Amendment Act Industrial Conciliation Act
June, Election for Natives' Representative Council (NRC)
December, Meeting of AAC
December, "Silver Jubilee" Conference of African National Congress (ANC); the Rev. Z. R. Mahabane succeeds Dr. Seme as president-general
1938
Afrikaner nationalist celebration of the centenary of the Great Trek April, Formation of the Non-European United Front
May 30, General election
1939
Asiatics (Transvaal Land and Trading) Act Formation of the short-lived National Union of African Youth in Natal
Communist Party headquarters moves from Johannesburg to Cape Town under Moses Kotane as national secretary
May 15-17, Deputation from the ANC and Congress of Urban Advisory Boards to the minister of Native affairs
September 4, House of Assembly votes 80-67 to enter World War II; resignation of Hertzog, who is succeeded by Jan Christiaan Smuts as prime minister
1940
January, Hertzog's followers merge with Daniel F. Malan's in the Reunited National Party
July 7, The national executive committees of the ANC and the AAC adopt resolution on the war
December, Meeting of a joint ANC-AAC committee

First meeting of AAC since 1937

ANC conference elects Dr. A. B. Xuma to succeed the Rev. Z. R.

Mahabane as president-general
1941
Factories, Machinery and Building Work Act
June, Supporters of Malan draft constitution for a future republic
July 8, Deputation from the ANC to the minister of justice
August 3, Conference to rebuild the African Mine Workers' Union
August 14, Roosevelt and Churchill's Atlantic Charter
November, Formation of Council of Non-European Trade Unions
December, Special session of the AAC
1942
War Measure 145 Election for NRC
March 4, Deputation from the ANC to the deputy prime minister June 28, The Non-European United Front convenes conference
December 28, Pretoria riot (17 killed, about 111 wounded)
1943
Trading and Occupation of Land (Transvaal and Natal) Restriction Act
February 28, Formation of Anti-C.A.D. [Coloured Affairs Department]
July 7, General election
August, Alexandra bus boycott (nine days)
September 26, Inauguration of Paul Mosaka's African Democratic Party November, Inauguration of Anti-Pass Campaign (1943-1945)
December 4-5, Inauguration of Campaign for Right and Justice
December 16, ANC conference adopts Africans' Claims (including "Bill of Rights") and a new constitution; authorizes formation of a Youth League
December, Meeting of joint ANC-AAC committee
December 17, Adoption of a "10-Point Programme" by delegates from the AAC and the Anti-C.A.D. at the First Unity Conference and provisional found­ing of the Non-European Unity Movement (NEUM)
1944
War Measure 1,425
February 2, Meeting of youth leaders with Dr. Xuma
April 2, Inaugural meeting of ANC Youth League
May 20-21, National Anti-Pass Conference
July 8, Second Unity Conference of NEUM
September 10, Conference of the ANC Youth League (Transvaal) elects A. M. Lembede as president
November 14, Beginning of Alexandra bus boycott (seven weeks)
November, Scattered fighting between Africans and whites in Johannesburg; destruction of the Bantu World printing plant and offices
1945
Native Education Finance Act Natives (Urban Areas) Consolidation Act
June, Adoption of United Nations Charter at the San Francisco Conference; Smuts' preamble calls for "larger freedom"
August, All-in Conference of nonwhite trade unions; opening address by Dr. Xuma
October,  Pan-African Congress, in Manchester.
October,  G.M. Naicker takes over leadership of the Natal Indian Congress
1946
Asian Land Tenure and Indian Representation Act
Death of the J.L. Dube, Chief Albert J. Lutuli in a by-election wins Dube's seat in the NRC
June 13 Natal Indian Congress and Transvaal Indian Congress (the latter under Dr. Y.M. Dadoo) begin passive resistance campaign (1946-1948)
June 23, Second National Anti-Pass
August 12-15, African mine workers’ strike
August 14-15, Meeting and adjournment of the NRC
August – September, Trial of 52 accused of aiding illegal mine strike; discharged or fined;followed by trial of communist for sedition, November 1946-October 1948
October 6-7, Dr. Xuma, who later attends the united Nations in New York, calls “ Emergency Conference of all Africans”
November 20, Acting Prime Minister Jan Hofmeyr address the NRC
November 26, NRC adjourns
1947
Industrial Conciliation (Natives) Bill; not enacted
March 9, Dr. A.B. Xuma, Dr. G.M. Naicker and Dr. Y.M. Dadoo issue “Joint Declaration of Cooperation”
May 8-9, Interview by some NRC members with Prime Minister Jan Smuts
July, Death of A.M. Lembede
1948
Report of the Native Laws Commission, 1946 1946-1948 [Fagan Report]
March, Election for NRC
May 22 – 24, First Transvaal-Orange Free State People’s Assembly for votes for all.
May 26, General Election; victory of Malan’s National Party
Introduction of apartheid on trains in Cape Peninsula
October 3, Twelve African leaders issue “A Call for African Unity”
December 3, Death of Jan Hof
December 16-17, Joint conference of the ANC and the ACC
1949
Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act
January 4-5, Notice of government's intention to abolish the NRC given at the first meeting of the NRC in over two years
January 13, Eruption of Zulu rioting against Indians in Durban, statements by African and Indian leaders (January 14-February 6)
April 17-18, Joint meeting of the ANC and AAC national executive committees
June, Professor Z. K. Matthew succeeds the Rev. James A. Calata as president of the Cape African Congress
December 17, ANC conference adopts the Programme of Action. Dr. James S. Moroka elected to succeed Dr. Xuma as president-general; new leadership comes into power, with Walter M. Sisulu succeeding the Rev. James Calata as secretary-general.
1950
Group Areas Act
Population Registration Act
Immorality Amendment Act
Suppression of Communism Act
March 26, "Defend Free Speech
May 1, Stay-at-home day of protest in Transvaal; police intervention (19 dead, 30 injured)
May 14, Conference of representatives of the Executive committees of the ANC, South African Indian Congress (SAIC), African People’s Organisation, ANC Youth League, Communist Party and Transvaal Council of Non-European Trade Unions
May 21, ANC national executive committee decides to call a national one day stay-at-home protest [June 26]
June 20, Communist Party declares it dissolved itself (before enactment of the  Suppression of Communist Act]
June 26, "National Day of Protest and Mourning”
November 12, Election of J. B. Marks as a president of the ANC (Transvaal)
November, Last meeting of the NRC
Formation of R. V. Selope Thema's National-minded Bloc
1951
Bantu Authorities Act
February, Separate Representation of Voters Bill to remove Coloureds from common roll (enacted in June) is made public
February, Conference of Franchise Action Council
March 11, Coloured political demonstration in Cape Town April, Rise of the Torch Commando
April 28-29, Formation of the Transvaal Peace Council
May 30, Chief Lutuli succeeds A. W. G. Champion as president of the ANC (Natal)
June 17, Funeral of Dr. Seme, followed by meeting of ANC national executive committee; decision to meet with SAIC and other representatives
July 29, Joint conference of national executive committees of the ANC and the SAIC;formation of Joint Planning Council (JPC)
November 8, Report of the JPC
December 15-17, ANC conference adopts report of the JPC
December 20, First conference of the Society of Young Africa
1952
January, Exclusive-minded Africans organize Bureau of African Nationalism
January 21, Letter from the ANC to Prime Minister Malan threatening a De­fiance Campaign
January 29, Reply and warning by Prime Minister Malan
February 11, Second letter from the ANC to Malan stating intention to launch Defiance Campaign
February, Formation of pro-government Bantu National Congress
April 6, Climax of Van Riebeeck tercentenary festival; ANC-SAIC protest meet­ings and demonstrations as prelude to Defiance Campaign
May, Ban on five Communist leaders and left-wing Guardian
May 31, ANC and SAIC national executive committees decide to open the Defiance Campaign on June 26
June 26, Official opening of the Defiance Campaign
July 1 5-16, Trial and sentencing of Communist leaders for defying bans
July 30, Countrywide police raids
August, Arrest of twenty African and Indian leaders of the Defiance Campaign;found guilty on December 2
September, Arrest of fifteen leaders in Eastern Cape Province;found guilty in 1953
September, Statement by twenty-two white liberals
October 1, Beginning of the period covered by the indictment in the treason trial of 1956-1961
October-November, Riots in Port Elizabeth (October 18), Johannesburg (No­vember 3), Kimberley
(November 8), and East London (November 10)
November 7, Banning of 52 nonwhite leaders in Eastern Cape Province
November 12, Government dismisses Lutuli as chief
November, Public meeting of whites in support of the Defiance Campaign
December 5, United Nations General Assembly decision to set up a Commission on the Racial Situation in South Africa
December 8, Patrick Duncan and other whites illegally enter African location in support of the Defiance Campaign
December 18-20, ANC conference elects Lutuli to succeed James S. Moroka as president-general