Emperor Menelik II was one of Ethiopia’s greatest leaders, ruling as King and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1889 to 1913. He was born Sahle Miriam on August 17, 1884, in Ankober, Shewa, Ethiopia. His mother, Woizero Ejigayehu Lemma Adyamo, was a palace servant, and his … Read MoreEmperor Menelik II (Sahle Miriam) (1844-1913)
Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the first prime minister of independent Tanganyika and one of the founders of Tanzania, was born April 13, 1922, in Butiama, Tanganyika. He was the son of Zanaki chief, Nyerere Burito. Julius Nyerere began his education at age 12. Nyerere eventually gained … Read MoreJulius K. Nyerere (1922-1999)
Robert Mugabe led Zimbabwe from its independence in 1980 until he was forced to step down in 2017. He remained in power through his tight control of the government bureaucracy and the armed forces. Robert Mugabe was born on February 21, 1924, at Katuma Jesuit … Read MoreRobert Gabriel Mugabe (1924-2019)
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the first Prime Minister of Nigeria before and after Nigerian independence from Great Britain in 1960. Born in December of 1912 in Bauchi in Northern Nigeria, Balewa’s father, Mallam Yakubu, was a minor official in the Native Authority, part of … Read MoreSir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1912-1966)
Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the independent nation, the Republic of Congo, was born July 2, 1925, in Onalua in Kasai province of the Belgian Congo. With just primary education, Lumumba emerged to become one of Africa’s most vocal critics of colonialism. Early … Read MorePatrice Emery Lumumba
(1925-1961)
