This Day in History: 8 September 1886
Digging for gold in the Witwatersrand (now city of Johannesburg and surroundings) was authorised in September 1886 and further accelerated the influx of people to the area. The influx had initially been caused by the discovery of gold. People flocked from all over the world to dig for gold in the area.
The city of Johannesburg was established a month after digging was authorized. Ten years later, the city had a population of over a 100 000. A third of that population was made up of foreigners. Today, the city comprises mine dumps left behind after years of mining.