This Day in History: July 1, 1921
Additional Date: July 1, 1921
Sir Seretse Khama was born on 1 July 1921 in Serowe in the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland, now known as Botswana. He studied in South Africa and graduated from Fort Hare College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1944. In 1966, he became the first president of the Republic of Botswana . Under his leadership Botswana developed from an impoverished and internationally obscure protectorate inherited from Britain to an increasingly democratic and prosperous country with a significant role in Southern Africa. He served as president until his death on July 13, 1980, in Gaborone.