December

Today in African History

Historical Events

Events

2010 - Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire to protest President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's oppressive regime.
2002 - Second Congo War: Congolese parties in the Inter-Congolese Dialogue sign a peace accord for transitional governance and elections within two years.
2012 - 18 people drown after an overloaded boat sinks in Cotonou, Benin.
1962 - Senegal's Premier Mamadou Dia is arrested after troops loyal to President Leopold Senghor block his attempt to seize power.

Births

1988 - David Rudisha, a Kenyan runner, is born.
1991 - Atsedu Tsegay, an Ethiopian runner, is born.
1917 - Kenneth Dike, a Nigerian historian and author, is born.
1941 - Stan Mudenge, a Zimbabwean historian and politician, is born.
1942 - Muhammadu Buhari, former Nigerian president, is born.
1971 - Alan Khan, a South African radio and TV presenter, is born.
1982 - Stéphane Lasme, a Gabonese basketball player, is born.
1983 - Haron Keitany, a Kenyan runner, is born.

Deaths

2008 – Gregoire, a Congolese chimpanzee, the oldest recorded, dies.
1663 - Queen Nzinga, considered the “mother of the nation” in Angola, dies in Matamba.

Your Daily Dose of African History

The Queen Who Played Chess While Everyone Else Played Checkers

Let me tell you about Queen Nzinga, the ultimate playmaker of 17th-century Africa. She wasn’t just a queen; she was a boss in every sense of the word. Picture this: It’s 1622, and the Portuguese are tightening their grip on African kingdoms, enslaving people and grabbing land like it’s a Black Friday sale. Enter Nzinga—sharp, fearless, and diplomatic.

Her first power move? A negotiation with the Portuguese. These guys set up a meeting to “talk,” but there’s no chair for her. A power play, right? Nzinga doesn’t flinch. She orders one of her attendants to get on all fours, sits on their back, and calmly proceeds to negotiate like a boss. She walked away with a peace treaty, but the Portuguese, being Portuguese, broke it.

When her brother (the king) passed, Nzinga stepped up. She wasn’t next in line, but who cares? She outsmarted rivals, took the throne, and turned her small kingdom into a fortress of resistance. How? She played the long game. Guerilla warfare, alliances with the Dutch, and a brilliant “no-slaves-here” policy that made her territory a refuge for thousands fleeing the Portuguese.

This woman didn’t just fight battles; she won minds. She built an army of freedmen and ex-slaves, creating loyalty that money—or colonizers—couldn’t buy. For 40 years, she frustrated one of the world’s biggest empires.

Nzinga died at 80, still wearing the crown, still undefeated in spirit. Today, Angola honours her as a national hero. But her legacy? That’s global. She’s a case study in leadership, resilience, and how to play chess when everyone else is playing checkers.