Today is the Day of King Amador, a public holiday in Sao Tome and Principe. The day commemorates Amador Viera—a man who is seen as a king and who helped to mobilize Africans to escape the bonds of slavery and to create their own free kingdom. He led a slave rebellion in 1595 against the Portuguese and declared himself to be the king of Sao Tome and Principe.
During 1595 and 1596, the Angolars ruled the island of Sao Tome under Amador Vieira’s command. On January 4, 1596, the Portuguese would end up capturing him and sending him to prison where the Portuguese executed him. And that’s why this holiday is observed every January 4th.
It’s currently unknown how the Angolars came to inhabit the island of Sao Tome, but there are several origin stories about it. One of the most told stories is that the Angolars were African slaves that were brought from the mainland and survived a shipwreck about 3-miles off the southern coast of Sao Tome Island.
Regardless of how the Angolars ended up in Sao Tome and Principe, it’s clear that Amador Viera—also known as Rei Amador—lead a slave rebellion in 1595 against the Portuguese and declared himself to be the king of the Angolars.
Small group…
Ed note: Augustus de Moran actually had some really great quotes, including my favorite: “I did not hear what you said, but I absolutely disagree with you.”
Today is the birthday, in 1960, of Michael Stipe, American singer, songwriter, musician, R.E.M. The band was pivotal in the creation and development of the alternative rock genre. They scored the 1991 UK No.6 & US No.10 single ‘Shiny Happy People’ plus over 20 Top 40 UK singles, and the 1992 UK No.1 & US No.2 album Automatic For The People. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYOKMUTTDdA
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