23 July 1853
Former Commander-General of the Boers in Natal and later Republican statesman, Andries Wilhemus Jacobus Pretorius, died on his farm in the Magaliesberg area. In 1838, Pretorius led a Voortrekker commando to defeat Zulu warriors in the battle of Blood River. Apart of his military achievements, Pretorius was also instrumental in the establishment of the short-lived Natal Republic as well as the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR or Transvaal Republic). He was described by Theal as "the ablest leader and most perfect representative of the Emigrant Farmers". His son Marthinus Wessel Pretorius founded the city of Pretoria and named it after his late father.
References
Potgieter, D.J. et al. (eds) (1970). Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa, Cape Town: NASOU, v. 9, p. 115.