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EventThe Republic of South Africa is established
Two years after taking office, Verwoerd realised his republican dream, when a White-only referendum supported his plea for a republic. This was also the first…
EventNelson Mandela is acquitted of high treason
Nelson Mandela, leader of the Transvaal branch of the African National Congress (ANC), was acquitted of treason charges after a four year long trial. Mandela…
EventSierra Leone gains independence from Britain
West African state Sierra Leone fronts onto the Atlantic Ocean, and is flanked by Liberia and Guinea. The very earliest inhabitants of Sierra Leone were…
EventFourth Nuclear bomb test by France in the Sahara
On 25 April 1961, France conducted its fourth nuclear bomb test in the Sahara Desert. Adding to the tension of the time, was an underlyingFrench ambition to…
EventNigeria imposes sanctions on South Africa, and implements a total trade boycott
On 11 April 1961, Nigeria imposed a trade boycott on South Africa, due to objections against South Africa's apartheid policy. In early 1960, Nigeria had…
EventNelson Mandela is appointed the Secretary of the National Action Council
Nelson Mandela was appointed the Secretary of the National Action Council during the All Africa Conference attended by 1 400 delegates from 145 institutions…
EventSouth Africa withdraws from the Commonwealth
On 5 October 1960 a referendum of White voters was held to decide whether South Africa should become a republic. The result showed that 52% were in favour of a…
EventMembers of the AAM hand over a memorandum to Verwoerd's private secretary about Apartheid policies
On 10 March 1961, members of the Anti-apartheid Movement (AAM) ended their 72 - hour vigil outside Lancaster house in London. The demonstrators marched through…
EventThe Anglican Bishop of Johannesburg, Bishop Ambrose Reeves, resigns
The Anglican Bishop of Johannesburg, Bishop Ambrose Reeves, resigned after having been deported from South Africa in September 1960 for his strong condemnation…
EventPatrice Lumumba, former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is shot
Patrice Lumumba gained the reputation of being a powerful and charismatic leader during his brief reign as Zaire's first Prime Minister (the former Belgian…
EventMass arrests in Pondoland
Justice Minister Francios Christiaan Erasmus informed the National Assembly that 4 769 Africans, 2 Europeans and 2 others had been taken into custody during…
EventPatrice Lumumba, Prime Minister of the Congo Republic, is assassinated
The first and only elected Prime Minister of the Congo Republic, Patrice Lumumba, was assassinated a few months after Congo gained formal independence from…
Zindzi Mandela is born
Zindziswa (Zindzi) Nobutho Mandela, second daughter of African National Congress (ANC) leader Nelson Mandela and his second wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was…
EventSelassie returns to Ethiopia after attempted coup
Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie returned immediately to his country after a short successful coup launched on 13 December 1960 by the Imperial Bodyguard, the…
EventProceedings against SA start in the International Court of Justice
Location: back to this day in history search archive South Africa received a mandate from the League of Nations over South West Africa (SWA) on 17 December…
EventBishop Ambrose Reeves returns to South Africa
Anti-apartheid cleric, Dr Richard Ambrose Reeves, Anglican (Church of the Province of South Africa) Bishop of Johannesburg, returned to South Africa from his…
EventAbebe Bikila wins gold at Rome Olympic Games
Ethiopian Abebe Bikila, running barefoot, became the first Black African to win gold in the history of the Olympic Games. In the process Bikila set a new world…
EventGeraldine Fraser is born
Geraldine Fraser was born on 24 August 1960, in Lansdowne, Cape Town, the daughter of a teacher and factory worker. She became politically active at…
EventGabon gains independence from France
On 17 August 1960 Gabon, the last of the four territories, which had formed French Equatorial Africa, achieved independence. Gabriel LÁƒÂƒ©on M'Ba become the…
EventUN peace-keeping troops deployed to the Republic of Congo
Formerly known as the Belgian Congo, the Republic of Congo was established in 1960. The fight for independence was initially led by Patrice Lumumba of the…
EventCôte d’Ivoire gains independence from France
The more recent pre-colonial history of CÁ´te d’Ivoire can be traced to the 17th century, with the establishment of the kingdom of Gyaaman. The capital,…
EventAndrew Vusi Fasedemi is born
Andrew Vusi Fasedemi, businessman and marketing strategist was born in Cardiff, Wales. He is managing director of several companies such as, inter alia, Wisdom…
EventUN Secretary-General Hammerskjöld arrives in Congo
Dag Hammerskjöld, secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), arrived in the Congo to try to end the civil war. Hammerskjöld became involved in attempts to…
EventThe first Boeing 707 jet aircraft arrives in South Africa
On 15 July 1960, the first Boeing 707 jet aircraft arrived in South Africa from America. This aircraft has remained in the service of the South African Air…
EventDemocratic Republic of Somali is formed
On 1 July 1960, the independent Somali Democratic Republic, commonly known as Somalia, was formed out of former British and Italian territories, with Mogadishu…
EventViolent clashes about the Transkei territorial authorities continues
Violent clashes continued to take place in Pondoland (Transkei) between supporters and opponents of the African territorial authorities. 29 Africans were…
EventDipuo Peters is born
Premier of Northern Cape Province and member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC Women's League, Elizabeth Dipuo Peters, was born in the Kimberley…
Commonwealth leaders discuss South Africa’s Apartheid policy
EventRobert Sobukwe is sentenced to three years’ imprisonment
Founding member and president of the Pan Africanist Congress, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for incitement of Blacks to…
EventSouth West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO) is founded to oppose South African rule
The South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO) was founded in Windhoek, South West Africa (presently Namibia) on 19 April 1960 by Herman Toivo Ya Toivo…