Selassie becomes emperor

Date: 2 Nov 1930
Updated: 2 Nov 2020

Ras (Duke) Tafari was crowned as Emperor Haile Selassie in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, after the death of Empress Zaudito. After 45 years of rule, Selassie was ousted by Marxist dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam during the 1974 revolution, which transformed Ethiopia into a Republic. He is worshiped by Rastafarians as a Lion of Judah, meaning that he is an African messiah. Click here to read about his burial Click here to read more about the history of Ethiopia

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How we know this

01Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.
02Haile Selassie laid to rest [online], available at news.bbc.co.uk [Accessed: 29 October 2009]
03Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia [online], available at en.wikipedia.org [Accessed: 29 October 2009]

Last updated · 2 Nov 2020

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). Selassie becomes emperor. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011514

South African History Online (2011) 'Selassie becomes emperor', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011514 (Accessed: 22 July 2026).

South African History Online, Selassie becomes emperor [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011514, (accessed 22 July 2026).

"Selassie becomes emperor." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011514. Accessed 22 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Selassie becomes emperor." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011514.