- — South America:
Inauguration of Brasilia
The purpose-built modernist capital, created from nothing and designed by Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer, is inaugurated in the interior by President Kubitschek after about forty-two months of construction, and the capital moves from Rio de Janeiro, shifting Brazil's centre of gravity inland. UNESCO inscribed the city as a World Heritage Site in 1987; it remains the seat of all three branches of government.
Era: The Vargas Era and Military Dictatorship
Sources: Brasilia · UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Lei n. 3.273, de 1 de outubro de 1957 (fixa a data da mudanca da Capital Federal) · Presidencia da Republica, Casa Civil (Planalto), Do quadrilatero Cruls ao patrimonio historico e cultural da humanidade (50 anos de Brasilia) · Senado Federal do Brasil, O homem que fez o Brasil crescer 50 anos em 5 (Rumos) · FGV CPDOC archive
- — Africa:
Ghana becomes a republic
Ghana adopted a republican constitution with Kwame Nkrumah as its first president, severing the last formal ties of British sovereignty.
Era: Independence and the Nkrumah era
Sources: Ghana (country overview and history) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Kwame Nkrumah · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Camp Boiro and the one-party state
Under a one-party socialist regime, the Camp Boiro detention centre becomes the centre of a repression in which thousands of detainees are executed or die from torture and starvation.
Era: The 'Non' of 1958 and the Sékou Touré Years
Sources: Camp Boiro · Wikipedia, Guinea plans a Truth Commission (on Camp Boiro) · JusticeInfo.net
- — Africa:
Lancaster House conferences
Three constitutional conferences in London negotiate Kenya's path to independence amid rivalry between KANU and the federalist KADU.
Era: Mau Mau and the Road to Independence
Sources: Lancaster House Conferences (Kenya) · Wikipedia, History of Kenya · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Founding of SWAPO
The South West African People's Organisation was founded under Sam Nujoma as successor to the Ovamboland People's Organisation, becoming the leading movement for Namibian independence.
Era: South African rule, the mandate, and apartheid
Sources: South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO) · Wikipedia, History of Namibia · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Founding of the MLSTP
São Toméan exiles organised the liberation movement that became the MLSTP, based for a time in Gabon, drawing strength from the memory of Batepá.
Era: Batepá, the MLSTP and the road to independence
Sources: São Tomé and Príncipe — After independence · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Sharpeville massacre
Police fired on a peaceful anti-pass-law protest at Sharpeville, killing at least 69 people and wounding scores more; the atrocity drew global condemnation and led to the banning of the ANC and PAC.
Era: Apartheid and the liberation struggle
Sources: Sharpeville massacre · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Sharpeville Massacre, 21 March 1960 · South African History Online, South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1996–2002) · African Transitional Justice Hub (CSVR)
- — Africa:
Assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore
Weeks after UPRONA's electoral victory, Prime Minister Prince Louis Rwagasore, the independence hero and son of Mwami Mwambutsa IV, is shot dead; the killing is later traced to rival politicians with foreign involvement.
Era: Ruanda-Urundi: German and Belgian Rule
Sources: Louis Rwagasore · Wikipedia, Prince Louis Rwagasore (1932–1961) · BlackPast.org, History of Burundi · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Internal autonomy granted
A year after Madagascar's independence, the Comoros are granted internal autonomy, with their own governing council and capital at Moroni.
Era: Autonomy and Independence
Sources: Comoros: History · Encyclopædia Britannica, History of the Comoros · Wikipedia
- — North America:
Assassination of Trujillo
Trujillo is ambushed and gunned down near Santo Domingo by conspirators including military officers, ending the long dictatorship and opening a contested transition.
Era: U.S. Occupation and the Trujillo Era
Sources: Rafael Trujillo · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Assassination of Lumumba
Captured and transferred to Katanga, Patrice Lumumba is killed; Belgian officers were present and foreign involvement is widely documented.
Era: Belgian Congo & Independence
Sources: Patrice Lumumba · Wikipedia
- — Europe:
- — North America:
Referendum to leave the federation
Jamaicans vote to withdraw from the West Indies Federation, dooming it and opening the way to separate independence.
Era: Self-Government and Independence
Sources: The Federal Archives Fonds, 1958-1962 (West Indies Federation) · UNESCO Memory of the World, Jamaica: The independent country · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Malawi Congress Party wins the elections
Banda's Malawi Congress Party won the 1961 legislative elections decisively, securing African control of the colonial legislature and accelerating the path to self-government.
Era: Federation, Banda and independence
Sources: Malawi (country overview and history) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Hastings Kamuzu Banda · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Asia:
Mongolia admitted to the United Nations
Mongolia is admitted to the United Nations in 1961, broadening international recognition of its independence after decades in which its sovereignty had been disputed between its powerful neighbours.
Era: Independence, Revolution, and the People's Republic
Sources: Mongolia: A Country Study · Library of Congress, Federal Research Division, History of Mongolia · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Oceania:
The first elections with indigenous voters
Papuans and New Guineans vote for the first time, sixteen years after the two territories were joined under one administration.
Era: Self-government and independence
Sources: Papua New Guinea country profile · BBC News
- — Africa:
Monarchy abolished by referendum
A UN-supervised referendum abolishes the monarchy and rejects King Kigeri V; Grégoire Kayibanda's Parmehutu wins the concurrent elections.
Era: Revolution, Independence and Exile
Sources: 1961 Rwandan monarchy referendum · Wikipedia, History of Rwanda · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Early northern discontent with the union
Power, the capital and government institutions concentrated in Mogadishu, and a 1961 constitutional referendum drew weak support in the north, planting early grievances about an unequal union.
Era: Five Days of Statehood and the Union of 1960
Sources: State of Somaliland · Wikipedia, Somaliland at 30: Still unrecognised, but alive and well · African Arguments
- — Asia:
Park Chung-hee's military coup
General Park Chung-hee seizes power and launches state-led, export-driven industrialization, the Miracle on the Han River, alongside authoritarian repression.
Era: Division, the Korean War, and Authoritarian Rebuilding
Sources: Park Chung-Hee · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Korea (history) · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
The Cha-cha-cha campaign
Under Kaunda, UNIP launched a campaign of mass civil disobedience known as the Cha-cha-cha against colonial rule and the Federation, intensifying pressure for African self-government.
Era: Federation, nationalism and independence
Sources: Northern Rhodesia · Wikipedia, Zambia Politics: Kaunda · GlobalSecurity.org
- — Europe:
The linguistic frontier fixed
Language laws drew a fixed border between Dutch-, French- and German-speaking areas and created four language regions, entrenching the divide between Belgium's communities.
Era: A Federal Kingdom at the Heart of Europe
Sources: Belgium: History · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — North America:
Election of Juan Bosch
In the first free elections in decades, the reformist writer Juan Bosch wins the presidency, only to be overthrown by the military after seven months in 1963.
Era: Intervention, Balaguer, and Democracy
Sources: Juan Bosch · Encyclopaedia Britannica, History of the Dominican Republic · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Jawara leads toward self-rule
After a new 1960 constitution created a House of Representatives, Dawda Jawara of the People's Progressive Party became premier in 1962, leading the colony through internal self-government toward independence.
Era: The British colony and the river enclave
Sources: The Gambia (country overview and history) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Dawda Jawara · Wikipedia, History of the Gambia · Wikipedia
- — North America:
Two-party democracy
Independent Jamaica settles into a competitive democracy contested by the JLP and the PNP, with peaceful alternations of power.
Era: Independent Jamaica and Global Culture
Sources: Jamaica: The independent country · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Asia:
Constitution and National Assembly
A constitution was promulgated and elections in 1963 created the National Assembly, the Gulf's first and longest-serving elected parliament.
Era: Oil, Independence, and the Welfare State
Sources: Remembering the Father of Democracy in the Gulf, Sheikh Abdullah al-Salem · Middle East Institute, Kuwait: History · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Asia:
Geneva agreement on Lao neutrality
An international agreement declares Laos neutral and provides for a coalition government, but the country remains a contested corridor of the Vietnam War.
Era: Civil War, the Secret War, and the Pathet Lao
Sources: Laos: History · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Indochina wars · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Europe:
The 1962 constitution
Rainier III promulgated a new constitution that reduced the sovereign's powers, abolished capital punishment and granted women the right to vote.
Era: Sovereignty Tied to France and the Making of the Modern Principality
Sources: Rainier III, prince de Monaco · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
FRELIMO is founded
Exiled nationalist groups unite in Dar es Salaam to form FRELIMO under Eduardo Mondlane, dedicated to ending Portuguese rule in Mozambique.
Era: FRELIMO, Liberation War and Independence
Sources: Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) · EBSCO Research Starters, Mozambican War of Independence · Wikipedia, Eduardo Mondlane · Wikipedia
- — Asia:
Ne Win's coup
General Ne Win overthrows the elected government, imprisons U Nu, and inaugurates decades of military rule under the Burmese Way to Socialism.
Era: Independence, Ne Win, and Decades of Military Rule
Sources: U Ne Win · Encyclopaedia Britannica, History of Myanmar · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Asia:
Panchayat autocracy
King Mahendra dissolves parliament in 1960 and bans parties; the 1962 constitution installs the partyless panchayat system under royal control.
Era: The Rana Century and the Return of the Crown
Sources: Nepal — Fall of the monarchy · Encyclopædia Britannica
- — Africa:
Path to independence negotiated
Constitutional conferences in London settle a federal arrangement preserving Buganda's special status, clearing the way for Ugandan self-government and independence.
Era: The Uganda Protectorate
Sources: History of Uganda · Encyclopaedia Britannica, U.S. Relations With Uganda / History · U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian
- — Asia:
Revolution founds the Yemen Arab Republic
Army officers under Abdullah al-Sallal overthrew the imam and proclaimed the Yemen Arab Republic, igniting a civil war that drew in Egyptian and Saudi forces until 1970.
Era: The Two Yemens: Revolution and Independence
Sources: Yemen: History (ancient kingdoms, Islam, the imamate, unification and war) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country, since 1776: Yemen · U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian
- — Africa:
The cycle of coups begins
General Christophe Soglo deposed President Hubert Maga in Dahomey's first military coup, opening more than a decade of chronic instability and repeated seizures of power.
Era: Coups, Kérékou, and the People's Republic of Benin
Sources: Benin — Decolonization, independence and military coups · Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1972 Dahomeyan coup d'état · Wikipedia
- — Asia:
Brunei stays out of Malaysia
Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III decides not to join the new Federation of Malaysia, keeping Brunei on a separate course toward eventual independence.
Era: The 1962 Revolt, Independence, and the Modern Sultanate
Sources: History of Brunei · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
The Trois Glorieuses topple Youlou
A three-day popular uprising in August 1963, led by trade unions and youth, forced Youlou's resignation; Alphonse Massamba-Débat took power and steered the country toward one-party "scientific socialism."
Era: Independence, Youlou, and the Marxist People's Republic
Sources: Fulbert Youlou · Wikipedia, Republic of the Congo · Encyclopædia Britannica, Assessment of Development Results: Republic of Congo · United Nations Development Programme
- — Africa:
Autonomy and the name Equatorial Guinea
A 1963 referendum approved a regime of autonomy granting limited internal self-government; the territory took the name Equatorial Guinea ahead of full independence.
Era: Spanish Guinea and the road to independence
Sources: Spanish Guinea · Wikipedia, History of Equatorial Guinea · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Founding of the Organisation of African Unity
A leading Pan-Africanist, Nkrumah helped found the Organisation of African Unity, advancing his vision of a politically united and liberated Africa.
Era: Independence and the Nkrumah era
Sources: Kwame Nkrumah · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Abolition of the federal system
A constitutional reform replaces Libya's three-province federation with a unitary kingdom.
Era: Independence, Monarchy and the Coming of Oil
Sources: Background Note: Libya · U.S. Department of State
- — Africa:
The Federation dissolved
Faced with African opposition and irreconcilable tensions, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was dissolved at the end of 1963, clearing the way for the separate independence of Malawi, Zambia and Rhodesia.
Era: Federation, Banda and independence
Sources: Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Formation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland · EBSCO Research Starters
- — Oceania:
West New Guinea transferred to Indonesia
The United Nations hands control of the island's western half to Indonesia; the two governments agree the position of their shared border ten years later.
Era: Self-government and independence
Sources: Papua New Guinea country profile · BBC News
- — Africa:
Assassination of Sylvanus Olympio
Demobilised soldiers, among them Étienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma, killed President Olympio in Lomé — widely cited as the first military coup against an elected leader in independent sub-Saharan Africa.
Era: Independence and the killing of Olympio
Sources: Sylvanus Olympio · Wikipedia, Gnassingbé Eyadéma · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Grunitzky installed as president
After the coup, Nicolas Grunitzky, Olympio's brother-in-law and political rival, headed a civilian government, but his weak administration left the military as the country's decisive power.
Era: Independence and the killing of Olympio
Sources: Togo (country overview and history) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Gnassingbé Eyadéma · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Mutesa II becomes first president
Uganda becomes a republic and the kabaka of Buganda, Sir Edward Mutesa II, is elected its first president, a largely ceremonial post under the 1962 constitution.
Era: Independence and the First Obote Era
Sources: Mutesa II of Buganda · Wikipedia, President Sir Edward Muteesa II · State House Uganda
- — South America:
Rise of the Tupamaros
The leftist urban guerrilla movement of the Tupamaros forms under Raul Sendic, turning to robberies, kidnappings and assassinations amid economic decline.
Era: Dictatorship, Recovery, and Modern Uruguay
Sources: Tupamaro · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Uruguay · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Federation dissolved
Sustained African opposition and shifting British policy brought the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland to an end, opening the way to independence for its territories.
Era: Federation, nationalism and independence
Sources: Northern Rhodesia · Wikipedia, Formation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland · EBSCO Research Starters
- — Africa:
Founding of ZANU and ZAPU
African nationalism crystallised in two movements: ZAPU under Joshua Nkomo and the breakaway ZANU, soon led toward armed struggle by figures including Robert Mugabe.
Era: White rule, UDI and the liberation war
Sources: Zimbabwe: History · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Robert Mugabe · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Rhodesian Bush War (Second Chimurenga) · Wikipedia
- — Asia:
The long reign of Zahir Shah
Mohammad Zahir Shah rules for four decades of cautious modernisation and neutrality, introducing in 1964 a constitution that opens a brief era of parliamentary politics.
Era: Independence, Monarchy and the Republic
Sources: Mohammad Zahir Shah — Reign, Abdication, Exile · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Afghanistan: A Country Study · Library of Congress, Federal Research Division
- — North America:
Internal self-government
A new constitution granted the Bahamas internal self-government with a cabinet and a first premier, while Britain retained defence and external affairs.
Era: Majority rule and independence
Sources: Background Note: The Bahamas · U.S. Department of State, The Bahamas — Independence · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — North America:
Internal self-government
Under a new constitution Britain granted internal self-government, retaining only defence and foreign affairs; George Price became premier, with Belizeans now running their own domestic affairs.
Era: Price, the PUP and independence
Sources: History of Belize · Encyclopædia Britannica, George Price — prime minister of Belize · Encyclopædia Britannica, Our History · Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Belize
- — South America:
Military coup ends the revolution
The armed forces overthrow Paz Estenssoro, ending the revolutionary era and beginning eighteen years of military rule.
Era: The National Revolution and Military Rule
Sources: Bolivia: A Country Study · Library of Congress, Federal Research Division, Victor Paz Estenssoro · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — South America:
- — Asia:
UN Security Council Resolution 186 establishes UNFICYP
The Security Council unanimously recommended, with the consent of the Government of Cyprus, the creation of the UN Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus to prevent a recurrence of fighting and help restore order; UNFICYP became operational on 27 March 1964.
Era: Independence, the Breakdown of Power-Sharing and UNFICYP
Sources: Establishment of UNFICYP (Security Council Resolution 186, 4 March 1964) · United Nations (UNFICYP), About UNFICYP · United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, UNFICYP – United Nations Force in Cyprus · Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations
- — Asia:
A UN mediator for the Cyprus question
Resolution 186 also recommended that the Secretary-General designate a mediator to promote a peaceful and agreed settlement, beginning the long international effort to resolve the dispute.
Era: Independence, the Breakdown of Power-Sharing and UNFICYP
Sources: Establishment of UNFICYP (Security Council Resolution 186, 4 March 1964) · United Nations (UNFICYP), UNFICYP – United Nations Force in Cyprus · Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cyprus to the United Nations
- — South America:
Decolonisation Committee takes up the question
From 1964 the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation began considering the question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and the dispute between the two governments.
Era: Decolonisation and the Sovereignty Dispute
Sources: Falkland Islands (Malvinas) — The United Nations and Decolonization · United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
- — Africa:
Coup attempt reversed by France
Military officers briefly ousted M'ba in February 1964, but French troops intervened within a day to restore him, illustrating the depth of post-independence Franco-Gabonese ties.
Era: Independence, oil, and the Bongo era
Sources: Léon M'ba · Wikipedia, History of Gabon · Encyclopædia Britannica
- — North America:
President for Life
Duvalier proclaims himself president for life and crushes an uprising at Jeremie with hundreds killed; his anti-communism keeps American support flowing.
Era: Occupation and Dictatorship
Sources: Haiti country profile · BBC News
- — Asia:
UN peacekeeping force (UNFICYP) established
By Resolution 186 the UN Security Council created UNFICYP to prevent renewed fighting and restore normal conditions; the force has remained deployed in Cyprus ever since.
Era: The Bicommunal Republic and Its Breakdown
Sources: About UNFICYP · United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, Security Council Resolution 186 (1964) [Cyprus] · United Nations (UNSCR archive)
- — Asia:
Founding of the PLO
The Palestine Liberation Organization was established as the umbrella body of the Palestinian national movement, later led by Yasser Arafat.
Era: Occupation, Dispossession, and the Present
Sources: Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — North America:
The Flag Riots
Clashes over flying the Panamanian flag in the Canal Zone leave roughly two dozen Panamanians and several Americans dead, hardening demands to revise the 1903 treaty.
Era: The Canal and the Zone
Sources: The Panama Canal and the Torrijos-Carter Treaties · U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, Panama · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Oceania:
An elected indigenous majority
A 64-member House of Assembly replaces the Legislative Council, and for the first time indigenous representatives hold most of the seats.
Era: Self-government and independence
Sources: Papua New Guinea country profile · BBC News
- — Africa:
Rivonia Trial imprisons Mandela
Nelson Mandela and fellow leaders of the ANC's armed wing were convicted of sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment, beginning Mandela's 27 years behind bars.
Era: Apartheid and the liberation struggle
Sources: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela · South African History Online, Nelson Mandela · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Zanzibar Revolution
The African majority overthrows the Arab-led sultanate of Zanzibar in a bloody uprising, establishing a republic under Abeid Karume.
Era: Independence, Revolution and the Union
Sources: The Zanzibar Revolution of 1964 · BlackPast.org, Tanzania: Independence, Unity, Sovereignty · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — North America:
Civil Rights Act
Signed by President Johnson, the Act outlawed discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin in employment and public accommodations.
Era: Superpower, civil rights, and the modern era
Sources: Civil Rights Act (United States, 1964) · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Europe:
The Holy See becomes a UN permanent observer
The Holy See established a Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in 1964, choosing observer status to preserve its neutrality, distinct from the territory of Vatican City State.
Era: Vatican II, the Modern Papacy and a World Patrimony
Sources: The Holy See Celebrates Years as Permanent Observer to the United Nations · Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN, Diplomatic Relations of the Holy See · Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN
- — Africa:
Boumédiène seizes power
Colonel Houari Boumédiène overthrows Ahmed Ben Bella and installs himself as president, beginning thirteen years of centralised socialist rule.
Era: Independent Algeria: Revolution, Civil War and Hirak
Sources: Houari Boumedienne · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Boumédienne Seizes Power from Dictator in Algeria · EBSCO Research Starters
- — Africa:
BDP wins the first general election
Seretse Khama's Bechuanaland Democratic Party wins self-government elections; Gaborone is built as the new capital.
Era: Independence, Diamonds and Democracy
Sources: History of Botswana · Wikipedia, Sir Seretse Khama · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Assassination of PM Pierre Ngendandumwe
Hutu prime minister Pierre Ngendandumwe is assassinated, deepening the political crisis that followed independence.
Era: The Fall of the Monarchy
Sources: History of Burundi · Wikipedia, Burundi: History · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Failed Hutu coup and reprisals
A Hutu-led coup attempt fails and is followed by army reprisals, foreshadowing later cycles of violence.
Era: The Fall of the Monarchy
Sources: History of Burundi · Wikipedia, Burundi: History · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Mobutu seizes power
Colonel Joseph-Désiré Mobutu takes full control in a military coup, beginning a three-decade dictatorship.
Era: Belgian Congo & Independence
Sources: Mobutu Sese Seko, president of Zaire · Encyclopædia Britannica, Mobutu Sese Seko · Wikipedia
- — South America:
General Assembly Resolution 2065 (XX)
The UN General Assembly recognised a sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom and invited both to negotiate a peaceful settlement, taking account of the islanders' interests.
Era: Decolonisation and the Sovereignty Dispute
Sources: Falkland Islands (Malvinas) — The United Nations and Decolonization · United Nations, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Special Decolonization Committee Adopts Resolution Asking Argentina, United Kingdom to Resume Talks over Falkland Islands (Malvinas) · United Nations Meetings Coverage and Press Releases
- — Africa:
Basotho National Party wins the pre-independence election
Leabua Jonathan's BNP narrowly defeats the Basutoland Congress Party, positioning him to lead the territory to independence.
Era: High Commission Territory to Independence
Sources: Leabua Jonathan · Wikipedia, History of Lesotho · Wikipedia
- — Asia:
Singapore's separation from Malaysia
Amid deepening communal and political friction, Singapore is separated from Malaysia by mutual agreement and becomes an independent state.
Era: The Formation of Malaysia and Singapore's Separation
Sources: Malaysia: Political transformation (occupation, federation, NEP) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968: Indonesia/Malaysia (Konfrontasi and separation) · U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian
- — Africa:
Chagos detached as the BIOT
Before independence, Britain separates the Chagos Archipelago to create the British Indian Ocean Territory, leasing Diego Garcia for a US base.
Era: The Road to Independence
Sources: Chagos Archipelago · Encyclopædia Britannica, Expulsion of the Chagossians · Wikipedia
- — Europe:
The Ceausescu dictatorship
Nicolae Ceausescu ruled Romania from 1965, pursuing a foreign policy independent of Moscow while imposing a personality cult, pervasive secret-police control and harsh 1980s austerity.
Era: Dismemberment, the Second World War and communist rule
Sources: Ceausescu Is Overthrown in Romania · EBSCO Research Starters
- — North America:
Voting Rights Act
The Act banned racial discrimination in voting and authorised federal oversight of elections, dramatically expanding Black political participation.
Era: Superpower, civil rights, and the modern era
Sources: Civil Rights Act (United States, 1964) · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Unilateral Declaration of Independence
Ian Smith's Rhodesian Front declared independence from Britain to preserve white-minority rule; Britain and the UN refused recognition and imposed sanctions.
Era: White rule, UDI and the liberation war
Sources: Ian Smith · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Zimbabwe: History · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Unilateral Declaration of Independence (Rhodesia) · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Founding of UNITA
Jonas Savimbi founded the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, drawing support from the Ovimbundu and creating the third of the rival liberation movements alongside the MPLA and FNLA.
Era: Revolt, liberation movements and independence
Sources: UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) · Wikipedia, Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Asia:
The Awami League's Six-Point demand
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Awami League issues a six-point programme for the political and economic autonomy of East Pakistan, the charter of Bengali self-determination.
Era: Partition, East Pakistan and the Language Movement
Sources: Mujibur Rahman · Encyclopædia Britannica, Awami League · Encyclopædia Britannica
- — Africa:
Fall of Yaméogo; Lamizana takes power
A popular revolt against austerity forces President Yaméogo to resign; Lieutenant Colonel Sangoulé Lamizana leads the army into government.
Era: Independence and the Cycle of Coups
Sources: Maurice Yaméogo · Wikipedia, Background Notes: Burkina Faso · U.S. Department of State, Upper Volta Coup Leads to Military Government · EBSCO Research Starters
- — Africa:
Monarchy abolished; republic declared
Mwami Mwambutsa IV is deposed in July; his son reigns briefly as Ntare V before Captain Michel Micombero overthrows him in November, abolishes the monarchy and proclaims a republic.
Era: The Fall of the Monarchy
Sources: History of Burundi · Wikipedia, Burundi: History · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Mwambutsa IV of Burundi · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Micombero's military republic
Michel Micombero installs a Tutsi-dominated military republic, concentrating power in the army and state.
Era: The Fall of the Monarchy
Sources: History of Burundi · Wikipedia, Ikiza or Burundi Killings of 1972 · EBSCO Research Starters
- — Africa:
Bokassa seizes power
Army commander Jean-Bédel Bokassa overthrew President David Dacko in the Saint-Sylvestre coup, beginning more than a decade of personal rule.
Era: Bokassa and the Age of Coups
Sources: Jean-Bédel Bokassa · Wikipedia, Central African Republic — History · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Asia:
Cultural Revolution
Mao launches the Cultural Revolution, a decade of political persecution, purges, and social upheaval that convulses Chinese society until his death in 1976.
Era: The People's Republic: Revolution, Upheaval, and Reform
Sources: China · Encyclopaedia Britannica, The Cultural Revolution · The National Archives (UK)
- — North America:
Balaguer wins the presidency
In U.S.-backed elections after the intervention, the conservative Joaquin Balaguer defeats Bosch, beginning a dominance of Dominican politics that lasts three decades.
Era: Intervention, Balaguer, and Democracy
Sources: Joaquin Balaguer · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations, 1961-1968 · U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian
- — Africa:
Nkrumah overthrown
While Nkrumah was abroad, the army and police seized power in a coup, ending the first republic and beginning decades of military and civilian upheaval.
Era: Independence and the Nkrumah era
Sources: Kwame Nkrumah · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ghana (country overview and history) · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
An era of coups
Ghana endured repeated military takeovers and short-lived governments, with coups in 1966, 1972, 1978, and twice involving Jerry Rawlings in 1979 and 1981, amid economic decline.
Era: Coups, republics, and modern democracy
Sources: Ghana (country overview and history) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1981 Ghanaian coup d'état · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
UN revokes the mandate
The UN General Assembly terminated South Africa's mandate over the territory, declaring its continued administration illegal, and later renamed the territory Namibia in 1968.
Era: The liberation struggle, the Border War and the road to independence
Sources: Namibia (country, history and government) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Namibia · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Military coups and unrest
A January 1966 coup killed Prime Minister Balewa; a July counter-coup and ensuing violence against Igbo communities deepened the crisis that would lead to civil war.
Era: Independence, the Biafran civil war and military rule
Sources: Nigeria (country overview and history) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Nigerian Civil War · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Battle of Mengo and the fall of Buganda
Obote suspends the constitution and orders the army under Idi Amin to storm the kabaka's palace; hundreds die and Mutesa II flees into exile, dying in London in 1969.
Era: Independence and the First Obote Era
Sources: Mengo Crisis (1966) · Wikipedia, History of Uganda · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Asia:
Sheikh Zayed becomes ruler of Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan succeeded his brother Shakhbut as ruler of Abu Dhabi and began directing oil revenue into the building of a modern state.
Era: The Fall of Pearls, the Rise of Oil, and Federation
Sources: Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al Nahyan · Encyclopaedia Britannica, History (Discover UAE) · Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, Washington DC
- — Oceania:
The 1967 referendum
Australians voted by nearly 91 per cent to let the Commonwealth make laws for Aboriginal people and to include them in the census, a landmark in the struggle for Aboriginal rights and recognition.
Era: The world wars, immigration, and the twentieth century
Sources: 1967: Indigenous Affairs referendum · Museum of Australian Democracy, Australia (country) · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — North America:
Majority rule — the Quiet Revolution
Lynden Pindling's PLP gained power after the 1967 election, making him the first Black premier and ending the long political dominance of the white "Bay Street" elite.
Era: Majority rule and independence
Sources: Lynden Pindling — Biography & Facts · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Lynden Pindling (1930–2000) · BlackPast.org, Background Note: The Bahamas · U.S. Department of State
- — Asia:
Accession of Hassanal Bolkiah
Omar Ali Saifuddien III abdicates in favour of his son Hassanal Bolkiah, who becomes the 29th sultan and would go on to be the world's longest-reigning living monarch.
Era: The 1962 Revolt, Independence, and the Modern Sultanate
Sources: Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah · Encyclopaedia Britannica, History of Brunei · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Brunei · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Renamed Territory of the Afars and the Issas
A second, disputed referendum again favours association with France; the territory is renamed the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas.
Era: Referendums and the Road to Independence
Sources: Djibouti (country and history) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, History of Djibouti · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Self-government and elections
Under a revised constitution Swaziland gains internal self-government; the king's Imbokodvo National Movement wins the elections, setting the stage for independence.
Era: British Territory and the Road to Independence
Sources: History of Eswatini · Wikipedia, Background Note: Swaziland · U.S. Department of State
- — Africa:
Omar Bongo takes power
On M'ba's death in November 1967 his vice-president Albert-Bernard (later Omar) Bongo became president; in 1968 he made the Gabonese Democratic Party the sole legal party, beginning a four-decade rule.
Era: Independence, oil, and the Bongo era
Sources: Omar Bongo · Wikipedia, History of Gabon · Encyclopædia Britannica
- — Africa:
Secession of Biafra
Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the Eastern Region an independent Republic of Biafra, precipitating the Nigerian Civil War.
Era: Independence, the Biafran civil war and military rule
Sources: Nigerian Civil War · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Civil war breaks out in Nigeria (6 July 1967) · HISTORY
- — North America:
Status plebiscites
Non-binding votes in 1967, 1993, and 1998 ask Puerto Ricans to choose among commonwealth, statehood, and independence, producing no binding resolution.
Era: The Commonwealth and the Status Question
Sources: Puerto Rico: The Debate over Political Status · Encyclopædia Britannica
- — Africa:
The Arusha Declaration
Nyerere proclaims Ujamaa, committing Tanzania to socialism and self-reliance, nationalising key sectors and launching the policy of collective villages.
Era: Independence, Revolution and the Union
Sources: Arusha Declaration · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Arusha Declaration · Wikipedia, (1967) The Arusha Declaration · BlackPast.org
- — Africa:
Eyadéma seizes power
Étienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma overthrew President Grunitzky in a bloodless coup and took the presidency, beginning a rule that would last nearly four decades.
Era: The Eyadéma era and the Gnassingbé dynasty
Sources: Gnassingbé Eyadéma · Wikipedia, Togo (country overview and history) · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
Kingdoms abolished
A new republican constitution abolishes the kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro, Ankole and Toro and makes Obote executive president of a centralised, unitary Uganda.
Era: Independence and the First Obote Era
Sources: Mengo Crisis (1966) · Wikipedia, History of Uganda · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Europe:
Gibraltar votes to stay British
In a sovereignty referendum Gibraltarians chose to keep their link with Britain rather than pass under Spanish sovereignty, by 12,138 votes to 44; Spain responded by closing the land frontier in 1969.
Era: World wars, decolonisation, and the modern UK
Sources: 1967 Gibraltar sovereignty referendum · Wikipedia, The Closure of the Border, 1969–2019 · HM Government of Gibraltar
- — South America:
- — Africa:
Macías Nguema becomes first president
Francisco Macías Nguema, victor of the September 1968 elections, became Equatorial Guinea's first president at independence, soon concentrating power and beginning a slide into dictatorship.
Era: The terror of Macías Nguema
Sources: History of Equatorial Guinea · Encyclopædia Britannica, History of Equatorial Guinea · Wikipedia, Francisco Macias Nguema · GlobalSecurity.org
- — Asia:
Suharto's New Order
Suharto formally becomes president and rules for over three decades, delivering growth and stability through authoritarian control, military dominance and pervasive corruption.
Era: Sukarno, the New Order and Democratic Indonesia
Sources: Indonesia (toward independence; Japanese occupation; after Suharto) · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66 · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Military coup ousts Modibo Keïta
Lieutenant Moussa Traoré leads a coup against the socialist one-party government, beginning 23 years of his rule.
Era: French Soudan and Independence
Sources: Moussa Traoré · Wikipedia, Timeline: How Mali went from democracy beacon to instability · Al Jazeera
- — North America:
Torrijos takes power
A military coup brings General Omar Torrijos to power; his government makes recovery of the canal its central aim.
Era: Torrijos, the Treaties, and Noriega
Sources: Omar Torrijos · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Panama: A Country Study · Library of Congress Country Studies
- — South America:
Velasco and the military reforms
General Juan Velasco Alvarado leads a leftist military government that enacts sweeping agrarian reform and nationalisations before being eased from power.
Era: Reform, the Shining Path, and Modern Peru
Sources: Peru: History · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Europe:
Federalization of Czechoslovakia
After the Prague Spring was crushed, the Constitutional Law of Federation of 28 October 1968 created, from 1 January 1969, a Slovak Socialist Republic within a federal Czechoslovakia, the Slovaks' first republic in name.
Era: Communism, the Velvet Revolution and the Velvet Divorce
Sources: Czechoslovakia · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Africa:
People's Republic of the Congo proclaimed
Marien Ngouabi, who had seized power in 1968, proclaimed the People's Republic of the Congo in 1969 — Africa's first Marxist-Leninist state — with the Congolese Labour Party (PCT) as the sole legal party.
Era: Independence, Youlou, and the Marxist People's Republic
Sources: Marien Ngouabi · Encyclopædia Britannica, Republic of the Congo · Encyclopædia Britannica, Assessment of Development Results: Republic of Congo · United Nations Development Programme
- — Africa:
Gaddafi's coup overthrows the monarchy
The Free Officers under Muammar Gaddafi depose King Idris in a near-bloodless coup and proclaim a republic, beginning 42 years of Gaddafi's rule.
Era: The Gaddafi Era, Uprising and Division
Sources: 1969 Libyan revolution · Wikipedia, Qaddafi leads coup in Libya, September 1, 1969 · HISTORY
- — Asia:
The Madha and Nahwa boundary is fixed
After British surveyors consulted local tribes and rulers, the boundary between Madha and Nahwa was settled in 1969, two years before the federation, making Madha an exclave of Oman and Nahwa a counter-enclave of Sharjah. The line was inherited by the United Arab Emirates in 1971.
Era: Decline, British Influence and Isolation
Sources: Madha · Wikipedia, British diplomat who mapped the borders of the Emirates dies aged 89 · The National
- — Africa:
Siad Barre seizes power
Following the assassination of President Shermarke, the army stages a coup and General Mohamed Siad Barre takes control, suspending the constitution and establishing a one-party socialist dictatorship.
Era: Independence, Union and the Siad Barre Era
Sources: Mohamed Siad Barre · Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1969 Somali coup d'état · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Siad Barre seizes power in Somalia
A military coup brought Mohamed Siad Barre to power, ushering in an increasingly centralised and authoritarian regime under which northern Isaaq communities came to feel marginalised.
Era: Grievance, the SNM and the Killings of the Late 1980s
Sources: Somaliland · Encyclopaedia Britannica, Isaaq genocide · Wikipedia
- — Europe:
Franco closes the Gibraltar frontier
After Gibraltarians voted in 1967 to keep their link with Britain and a new Gibraltar constitution followed in May 1969, Franco's government closed the land frontier; it partly reopened to pedestrians on 15 December 1982 and fully on 5 February 1985.
Era: The Franco Dictatorship and Democratic Spain
Sources: The Closure of the Border, 1969–2019 · HM Government of Gibraltar, Gibraltar–Spain border · Wikipedia
- — Africa:
Founding of the RPT one-party state
Eyadéma created the Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais as Togo's sole legal party, the institutional core of his personal autocracy and cult of personality.
Era: The Eyadéma era and the Gnassingbé dynasty
Sources: Gnassingbé Eyadéma · Wikipedia, Togo (country overview and history) · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- — Asia:
The Madha and Nahwa boundary is fixed
After British surveyors consulted local tribes and rulers, the boundary between Madha and Nahwa was settled in 1969, two years before the federation, making Madha an exclave of Oman and Nahwa a counter-enclave of Sharjah. The line was inherited by the United Arab Emirates in 1971.
Era: The Fall of Pearls, the Rise of Oil, and Federation
Sources: Madha · Wikipedia, British diplomat who mapped the borders of the Emirates dies aged 89 · The National
Politics & Power in the 1960s
Every event in the Terralore archive tagged politics and power — dynasties, constitutions, revolutions and changes of regime, narrowed to the 1960s — 117 of them, drawn from 77 nations, running from 1960 to 1969. Each entry keeps the sources it was verified against and links back to the chronicle it came from.
- Events
- 117
- Nations
- 77
- Earliest
- 1960
- Latest
- 1969
- Africa
- 62
- Asia
- 21
- North America
- 14
- Europe
- 8
- South America
- 8
- Oceania
- 4
Every entry below is the same record, with the same sources, as the one on its nation’s chronicle.