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April
26

Today in African History

Historical Events

  • 1941 - South African troops capture the Abyssinian(Ethiopian) fortress of Dessie during World War II.
  • 1963 – Constitution amendments transform Libya into one national unity and women are allowed to vote.
  • 1964 – Tanganyika and Zanzibar merge to form the United Republic of Tanzania.
  • 1994 - First multiracial elections begin in South Africa.
  • 2005 – Elisabeth Domitien, former Central African Republic's Prime Minister, dies.
  • 2015 - Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya & Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia win the 35th London Marathon.

Language of the Day

The Zande language is the most prominent language in the Zande group, spoken primarily by the Azande people in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, western South Sudan, and the eastern Central African Republic. 

It's also known as Pazande in the Zande language and Kizande in Lingala.

It has about 3.1 million native speakers and two main dialects - Dio and Makaraka. 

Discover Africa's Rich Past

The union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar

The union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar

In 1964, the two East African territories of Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to form a new country known as the United Republic of Tanzania.

Tanganyika, located on the mainland, had been a German colony before World War I and then a British protectorate until it gained independence in 1961. 

Zanzibar, an archipelago off the coast of Tanzania, was a former Arab sultanate that had been under British control since the 19th century and achieved self-government in 1963.

The merger of the two territories was driven by a desire for greater political unity and economic cooperation, as well as a shared sense of African nationalism. 

The new country was initially called the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar but was later renamed to the United Republic of Tanzania to reflect the fusion of the two territories, with the first two letters coming from Tanganyika and the last five from Zanzibar.

Julius Nyerere became the first president of Tanzania, and Abeid Karume, the leader of Zanzibar, became the new country's vice president. 

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