Today is Independence Day in Zimbabwe. This holiday marks independence from the United Kingdom on this day in 1980 and is the National Day of Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe was first influenced by Europeans with the arrival of The British South Africa Company in the 1890s. The company had been founded by Cecil Rhodes in 1889 to colonize the region. The area became known as Southern Rhodesia (in honor of Cecil Rhodes) in 1895 and was governed by the British South Africa Company until 1922 when the European settlers voted to become a British Colony.
In 1953, Britain created the Central African Federation, made up of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Nyasaland (Malawi).
Following the breakup of the Federation in 1964, when Zambia and Malawi gained independence, Ian Smith became Prime Minister of the country (now called Rhodesia). Smith began a campaign for independence from Britain, with the government being run by the white minority. Independence was declared in 1965, but was not recognized internationally and led to sanctions against the country. This also led to an extensive campaign of guerilla warfare within Rhodesia.
Under this pressure, the white minority finally consented to multiracial elections in 1980. Robert Mugabe and his Zanu party won the independence elections, with Mugabe becoming Prime Minister and Zimbabwe’s independence being formally recognised on April 18th 1980.
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Failed Geography…
Today is the birthday, in 1942, of Mike Vickers, British musician who came to prominence as guitarist, flautist and saxophonist with Manfred Mann, who had the 1964 UK & US No.1 single ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooeRA8ZhcoQ
