Century
20th Century BCE
What happened in the 20th Century BCE.
PoliticsNelson Mandela Elected President of South AfricaApril 27, 1994 · Cape Town, South AfricaSouth Africa holds its first democratic election, ending the apartheid regime and establishing a multiracial government.
PoliticsZimbabwe Gains Independence from BritainApril 18, 1980 · Harare, ZimbabweRobert Mugabe leads the transition from Rhodesia to the independent nation of Zimbabwe.
PoliticsAngolan War of Independence EndsNovember 11, 1975 · Luanda, AngolaAngola gains independence from Portugal, immediately plunging into a civil war between rival liberation movements.
PoliticsCongo Gains Independence from BelgiumJune 30, 1960 · Kinshasa, Congo (DRC)The Belgian Congo becomes the independent Republic of the Congo, sparking immediate political turmoil.
PoliticsGhana Gains Independence from BritainMarch 6, 1957 · Accra, GhanaKwame Nkrumah leads the Gold Coast to become the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence from colonial rule.
WarAlgerian War of Independence BeginsNovember 1, 1954 · Algiers, AlgeriaThe National Liberation Front launches coordinated attacks marking the start of the Algerian War against France.
WarMau Mau Uprising Begins in KenyaOctober 20, 1952 · Nairobi, KenyaThe Kikuyu-led Mau Mau rebellion begins against British colonial rule and white settler land ownership.
PoliticsFounding of the Indochinese Communist PartyFebruary 3, 1930 · Hong Kong (Vietnamese context)Ho Chi Minh unites communist factions to form the Indochinese Communist Party, aiming for Vietnamese independence from France.
WarTurkish War of Independence BeginsMay 19, 1919 · Samsun, TurkeyMustafa Kemal Atatürk lands in Samsun to organize resistance against Allied occupation and the Ottoman Sultanate.
PoliticsKorean March First MovementMarch 1, 1919 · Seoul, Korea (under Japanese rule)Mass non-violent protests erupt across Korea demanding independence from Japanese colonial rule.
PoliticsEgyptian Revolution of 1919March 8, 1919 · Cairo, EgyptMass protests erupt in Egypt demanding an end to British protectorate and full independence.
WarEaster Rising in IrelandApril 24, 1916 · Dublin, IrelandIrish republicans launch an armed insurrection against British rule in Dublin during Easter Week.
WarMexican Revolution BeginsNovember 20, 1910 · Mexico City, MexicoFrancisco I. Madero issues a call to arms against the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz.