Equatorial Guinea becomes independent from Spain

War began between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Israel took control of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza, Sinai, and the Golan Heights. For Palestinians, the occupation deepened...

Britain ended colonial rule in Aden and the surrounding territories; the People’s Republic of South Yemen became independent under the National Liberation Front. Independence followed years of armed...

Nauru became independent after prolonged Australian administration, first under a League of Nations mandate and later as a UN trust territory. German colonial rule and phosphate extraction had...

Mauritius became an independent state after British colonial rule. The transition followed long political organizing across a society shaped by slavery, indenture, plantation sugar, and migration. The...

Swaziland became an independent kingdom under King Sobhuza II. British colonial administration ended, but the new state inherited a land system shaped by colonial concession and dispossession....

The Organization of African Unity adopted its Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa. It recognized that liberation wars, colonial borders, apartheid, and political...

Biafran forces surrendered to the Nigerian federal government, ending nearly three years of war. Blockade and famine killed large numbers of civilians, while relief agencies and journalists drew...

Fiji became independent from Britain after a constitutional settlement between political leaders. The colonial economy had relied on sugar and indentured Indian labor, while colonial policies...

The UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations. Newly independent states had pushed the UN to address sovereignty, non-intervention,...

The Awami League won a majority in Pakistan’s National Assembly, based on strong support in East Pakistan. The result gave Bengali voters a mandate for autonomy under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Six-Point...