Timeline of Tanzanian history
Encyclopedia
This timeline of Tanzanian history is a chronological list of major events concerning the citizens of Tanzania
, including Zanzibar
, the former territory of Tanganyika
, and the surrounding areas prior to European colonisation. Human habitation in the region began at least 100,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of Australopithecus afarensis
hominids in the region more than 3 million years ago and Paranthropus
hominins
more than 2 million years ago. Khoisan
people are thought to have migrated to the area as hunter-gatherer
s approximately 10,000 years ago.
European contact in East Africa was made in the 15th century by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama
. He landed at Kilimane (now in Tanzania) in 1498. Zanzibar, an island archipelago
east of the mainland, was acquired by the Portuguese Empire
and remained its territory for nearly 200 years. The area was captured by the Sultan of Oman
in 1698. Colonial involvement in the region increased in the 19th century. German East Africa was formed on the mainland in 1885 and Zanzibar came under British control in 1890. Six years later, the Anglo-Zanzibar War
was fought on the island, the shortest war in history. Chief Mkwawa
of the Hehe
and insurgents allied with the Maji Maji Rebellion
resisted colonial rule in German East Africa
.
German involvement ended after the First World War
when the United Kingdom took over Tanganyika as a League of Nations mandate
. Tanganyika social and political groups began to mobilise during the middle of the century and in 1961 former school teacher Julius Nyerere
became the first Prime Minister. Tanganyika achieved its independence in 1962, with Nyerere as president, and Zanzibar followed a year later. The two nations merged in 1964 and became known as Tanzania. Nyerere ruled a one-party nation for more than 20 years, introducing his vision of African socialism
, Ujamaa
. He stepped down in 1985 and was succeeded by Ali Hassan Mwinyi
. Benjamin Mkapa
, the country's third president, won Tanzania's first multi-party election
in 1995. During Mkapa's presidency, Tanzania forged diplomatic ties in the region by signing the East African Community Treaty
. However, the Mkapa government was criticised for overspending. In 1998, the US embassy was bombed
in Dar es Salaam. In 2003, a new genus of monkey was discovered in the country, the first discovered since 1923. President Jakaya Kikwete
was elected in 2005.
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, including Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
, the former territory of Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
, and the surrounding areas prior to European colonisation. Human habitation in the region began at least 100,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of Australopithecus afarensis
Australopithecus afarensis
Australopithecus afarensis is an extinct hominid that lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. A. afarensis was slenderly built, like the younger Australopithecus africanus. It is thought that A...
hominids in the region more than 3 million years ago and Paranthropus
Paranthropus
The robust australopithecines, members of the extinct hominin genus Paranthropus , were bipedal hominids that probably descended from the gracile australopithecine hominids...
hominins
Hominini
Hominini is the tribe of Homininae that comprises Homo, and the two species of the genus Pan , their ancestors, and the extinct lineages of their common ancestor . Members of the tribe are called hominins...
more than 2 million years ago. Khoisan
Khoisan
Khoisan is a unifying name for two ethnic groups of Southern Africa, who share physical and putative linguistic characteristics distinct from the Bantu majority of the region. Culturally, the Khoisan are divided into the foraging San and the pastoral Khoi...
people are thought to have migrated to the area as hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
s approximately 10,000 years ago.
European contact in East Africa was made in the 15th century by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
. He landed at Kilimane (now in Tanzania) in 1498. Zanzibar, an island archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
east of the mainland, was acquired by the Portuguese Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
and remained its territory for nearly 200 years. The area was captured by the Sultan of Oman
Sultan of Oman
-List of Imams :-Nabhan Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Banu Ghafir Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Al Said Dynasty :-See also:...
in 1698. Colonial involvement in the region increased in the 19th century. German East Africa was formed on the mainland in 1885 and Zanzibar came under British control in 1890. Six years later, the Anglo-Zanzibar War
Anglo-Zanzibar War
The Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar on 27 August 1896. The conflict lasted 38 minutes and is the shortest war in history. The immediate cause of the war was the death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on 25 August 1896 and the subsequent succession...
was fought on the island, the shortest war in history. Chief Mkwawa
Chief Mkwawa
Paramount Chief Mkwavinyika Munyigumba Mwamuyinga , more commonly known as Chief Mkwawa, was a Hehe tribal leader in German East Africa who opposed the German colonisation. The name "Mkwawa" is derived from Mukwava, itself a shortened form of Mukwavinyika, meaning "conqueror of many lands"...
of the Hehe
Hehe
The Hehe are an ethnic and linguistic group based in Iringa Region in south-central Tanzania, speaking the Bantu Hehe language. In 1994, the Hehe population was estimated to number 750,000.-History:...
and insurgents allied with the Maji Maji Rebellion
Maji Maji Rebellion
The Maji Maji Rebellion, sometimes called the Maji Maji War, was a violent African resistance to colonial rule in the German colony of Tanganyika, an uprising by several African indigenous communities in German East Africa against the German rule in response to a German policy designed to force...
resisted colonial rule in German East Africa
German East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
.
German involvement ended after the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when the United Kingdom took over Tanganyika as a League of Nations mandate
League of Nations mandate
A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for administering the territory on behalf of the League...
. Tanganyika social and political groups began to mobilise during the middle of the century and in 1961 former school teacher Julius Nyerere
Julius Nyerere
Julius Kambarage Nyerere was a Tanzanian politician who served as the first President of Tanzania and previously Tanganyika, from the country's founding in 1961 until his retirement in 1985....
became the first Prime Minister. Tanganyika achieved its independence in 1962, with Nyerere as president, and Zanzibar followed a year later. The two nations merged in 1964 and became known as Tanzania. Nyerere ruled a one-party nation for more than 20 years, introducing his vision of African socialism
African socialism
African socialism is a belief in sharing economic resources in a "traditional" African way, as distinct from classical socialism. Many African politicians of the 1950s and 1960s professed their support for African socialism, although definitions and interpretations of this term varied...
, Ujamaa
Ujamaa
Ujamaa was the concept that formed the basis of Julius Nyerere's social and economic development policies in Tanzania just after it gained independence from Britain in 1961...
. He stepped down in 1985 and was succeeded by Ali Hassan Mwinyi
Ali Hassan Mwinyi
Ali Hassan Mwinyi is a Tanzanian politician. He was the second President of the United Republic of Tanzania from 1985 to 1995. Previous posts include Interior Minister and Vice President...
. Benjamin Mkapa
Benjamin Mkapa
Benjamin William Mkapa was the third President of the United Republic of Tanzania and former Chairman for the Revolutionary State Party .-Biography:...
, the country's third president, won Tanzania's first multi-party election
Tanzanian general election, 1995
General elections were held in Tanzania on 29 October and 29 November 1995. They were the first multi-party general elections after the lifting of the ban on political parties other than Chama Cha Mapinduzi in 1992...
in 1995. During Mkapa's presidency, Tanzania forged diplomatic ties in the region by signing the East African Community Treaty
East African Community Treaty
The East African Community Treaty was signed on November 30, 1999 in Arusha, Tanzania between President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi of Kenya, President Yoweri Kaguat Museveni of Uganda and President Benjamin William Mkapa of Tanzania. The accord established the East African Community whereby all...
. However, the Mkapa government was criticised for overspending. In 1998, the US embassy was bombed
1998 United States embassy bombings
The 1998 United States embassy bombings were a series of attacks that occurred on August 7, 1998, in which hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous truck bomb explosions at the United States embassies in the East African capitals of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. The date of the...
in Dar es Salaam. In 2003, a new genus of monkey was discovered in the country, the first discovered since 1923. President Jakaya Kikwete
Jakaya Kikwete
Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete is the 4th and current President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Kikwete was born in Msoga, Bagamoyo District, Tanganyika in present day Tanzania...
was elected in 2005.
10,000–20,000 BC
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000–20,000 BC | Khoikhoi Khoikhoi The Khoikhoi or Khoi, in standardised Khoekhoe/Nama orthography spelled Khoekhoe, are a historical division of the Khoisan ethnic group, the native people of southwestern Africa, closely related to the Bushmen . They had lived in southern Africa since the 5th century AD... people (a branch of the Khoisan Khoisan Khoisan is a unifying name for two ethnic groups of Southern Africa, who share physical and putative linguistic characteristics distinct from the Bantu majority of the region. Culturally, the Khoisan are divided into the foraging San and the pastoral Khoi... ) migrate to East Africa East Africa East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:... from Southern Africa Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN... . |
2nd century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 100–200 | Bantu people migrate to the area from West Africa West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:... and achieve dominance over the existing inhabitants, the Khoikhoi. |
12th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1180s | Suleiman Hassan, 12th ruler of the Kilwa Sultanate Kilwa Sultanate The Kilwa Sultanate was a Medieval sultanate, centered at Kilwa , whose authority, at its height, stretched over the entire length of the Swahili Coast. It was founded in the 10th century by Ali ibn al-Hassan Shirazi... (c.1178-1195), conquers its rival Sofala Sofala Sofala, at present known as Nova Sofala, used to be the chief seaport of the Monomotapa Kingdom, whose capital was at Mount Fura. It is located on the Sofala Bank in Sofala Province of Mozambique.-History:... . |
15th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1498 | 25 February | The Portuguese Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... explorer Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India... is the first known European to reach the East Africa East Africa East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:... n coast, landing at Kilimane, where he stayed for 32 days. |
16th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1505 | August | Captain John Homere, part of Francisco de Almeida Francisco de Almeida Dom Francisco de Almeida , also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" , was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492... 's fleet, captures the archipelago of Zanzibar Zanzibar Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba... , making it part of the Portuguese Empire Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history... . |
17th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1698 | Zanzibar falls under the control of the Sultan of Oman Sultan of Oman -List of Imams :-Nabhan Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Banu Ghafir Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Al Said Dynasty :-See also:... . |
18th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1700–1800s | Over 100,000 slaves pass through Zanzibar as part of the Arab slave trade Arab slave trade The Arab slave trade was the practice of slavery in the Arab World, mainly Western Asia, North Africa, East Africa and certain parts of Europe during their period of domination by Arab leaders. The trade was focused on the slave markets of the Middle East and North Africa... . |
19th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1822 | United Kingdom signs a treaty with Sultan Seyyid Said Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman Said bin Sultan Al-Said was Sultan of Muscat and Oman from November 20, 1804 to June 4, 1856. He became joint ruler of the country along with his brother Salim on the death of their father, Sultan bin Ahmad, in 1804... to begin the abolition Abolitionism Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first... of slavery in Zanzibar. |
|
| 1840 | December | Oman Oman Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the... i Sultan Seyyid Said moves his capital to Zanzibar City Zanzibar City Zanzibar City is the capital and largest city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania. It is located on the west coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, roughly opposite to Dar es Salaam across the Zanzibar Channel... . |
| 1848 | 11 May | German Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... missionary Johannes Rebmann Johannes Rebmann Johannes Rebmann was a German missionary and explorer credited with feats including being the first European, along with his colleague Johann Ludwig Krapf, to enter Africa from the Indian Ocean coast. In addition, he was the first European to find Kilimanjaro... , accompanied by Johann Ludwig Krapf Johann Ludwig Krapf Johann Ludwig Krapf was a German missionary in East Africa, as well as an explorer, linguist, and traveler. Krapf played an important role in exploring East Africa with Johannes Rebmann. They were the first Europeans to see Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro... , become the first Europeans to report seeing Mount Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at above sea level .-Geology:... . |
| 1856 | Sultan Seyyid Said dies at sea and is succeeded by his sons Thuwaini bin Said Thuwaini bin Said, Sultan of Muscat and Oman Sultan Thuwaini bin Said al-Said also called Tueni, Sultan of Muscat and Oman , was the third son of Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman. Thuwaini was born in Oman, and never visited Zanzibar... , in Muscat and Oman Muscat and Oman Muscat and Oman was a country that encompassed the present day Sultanate of Oman and parts of the United Arab Emirates. The country is not to be confused with either the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, which were sheikhdoms under British protection since 1820.... and Majid bin Said Majid bin Said of Zanzibar Sayyid Majid bin Said Al-Busaid was the first Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Zanzibar from October 19, 1856 to October 7, 1870.... , in Zanzibar. |
|
| 1857 | 26 June | British explorers Richard Burton Richard Francis Burton Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS was a British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as his... and John Speke John Hanning Speke John Hanning Speke was an officer in the British Indian Army who made three exploratory expeditions to Africa and who is most associated with the search for the source of the Nile.-Life:... travel from Zanzibar to the East African coast and begin their exploration of continental East Africa. |
| 1858 | 13 February | Burton and Speke reach Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake... , the first known Europeans to do so. |
| 1861 | 2 April | Zanzibar and Oman are split into two separate principalities Principality A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince.... with Majid bin Said becoming the first Sultan of Zanzibar. |
| 1873 | Zanzibari Sultan Barghash bin Said Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar Sayyid Barghash bin Said Al-Busaid, GCMG, GCTE , son of Said bin Sultan,was the second Sultan of Zanzibar. Barghash ruled Zanzibar from October 7, 1870 to March 26, 1888.... stops the export of slaves over the sea. |
|
| 1876 | Barghash bin Said closes Zanzibar's slave market. | |
| 1884 | 28 March | The Society for German Colonization Society for German Colonization The Society for German Colonization was founded on March 28, 1884, by Dr. Karl Peters. The goal of the Gesellschaft für Deutsche Kolonisation was to acquire German colonial territories in overseas countries.In the autumn of 1884 Dr. Peters proceeded, together with Count Joachim von Pfeil und Klein... is formed by Karl Peters Karl Peters Karl Peters , was a German colonial ruler, explorer, politician and author, the prime mover behind the foundation of the German colony of East Africa... in order to acquire German colonial territories in overseas countries. Peters signs treaties with several native chieftains on the mainland opposite Zanzibar Zanzibar Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba... . |
| 1885 | 3 March | The German government announces its intention to establish a protectorate Protectorate In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity... in East Africa. |
| 2 April | The German East Africa Company German East Africa Company The German East Africa Company was an organization established at the start of the German colonization of East Africa. This company, in short, was responsible for the activities in the new colony such as setting up leadership, future explorations, and the development of the region.In 1888, the... is formed by Karl Peters to govern German East Africa German East Africa German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today.... . |
|
| 1886 | 1 November | An agreement is reached between Britain and Germany designating a 10 miles (16.1 km) wide strip of land along the coast as being controlled by Sultan Barghash bin Said, along with Zanzibar, Pemba, and Mafia Mafia Island Mafia Island is part of the Tanzanian Spice Islands, together with Unguja and Pemba. As one of the six districts of the Pwani Region, Mafia Island is governed from the mainland, not from the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, of which it has never been considered to be a part.According to the... . The area that is to become Tanganyika is assigned to Germany while the area will become Kenya is assigned to Britain. |
| 1888 | April | The German East Africa Company leases the coastal strip opposite Zanzibar from Sultan Khalifah bin Said Khalifah bin Said of Zanzibar Sayyid Khalifa I bin Said Al-Busaid, GCMG, was the third Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Zanzibar from March 26, 1888 to February 13, 1890 and was succeeded by his brother, Ali bin Said Al-Busaid.... for 50 years. |
| 1890 | 1 July | The Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty makes Zanzibar and Pemba a British protectorate. |
| 1 August | The Sultan of Zanzibar signs an anti-slavery decree. | |
| 1896 | 27 August | The Anglo-Zanzibar War Anglo-Zanzibar War The Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar on 27 August 1896. The conflict lasted 38 minutes and is the shortest war in history. The immediate cause of the war was the death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on 25 August 1896 and the subsequent succession... is fought between Zanzibar and the United Kingdom. It lasted approximately 38 minutes and is the shortest war in history. |
| 1897 | 5 April | Sultan Hamoud bin Mohammed Hamoud bin Mohammed of Zanzibar Sayyid Sir Hamoud bin Mohammed Al-Said, GCSI, was the British-controlled Omani sultan of the protectorate of Zanzibar, who outlawed slavery on the island.... issues a decree making slavery illegal in Zanzibar. |
| 1898 | 19 July | Following years of resistance, Chief Mkwawa Chief Mkwawa Paramount Chief Mkwavinyika Munyigumba Mwamuyinga , more commonly known as Chief Mkwawa, was a Hehe tribal leader in German East Africa who opposed the German colonisation. The name "Mkwawa" is derived from Mukwava, itself a shortened form of Mukwavinyika, meaning "conqueror of many lands"... of the Hehe Hehe The Hehe are an ethnic and linguistic group based in Iringa Region in south-central Tanzania, speaking the Bantu Hehe language. In 1994, the Hehe population was estimated to number 750,000.-History:... is cornered by German soldiers and commits suicide in lieu of capture. |
20th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1905 | July | The Maji Maji Rebellion Maji Maji Rebellion The Maji Maji Rebellion, sometimes called the Maji Maji War, was a violent African resistance to colonial rule in the German colony of Tanganyika, an uprising by several African indigenous communities in German East Africa against the German rule in response to a German policy designed to force... starts as a violent resistance to colonial rule in Tanganyika. |
| 1907 | August | The Maji Maji Rebellion ends, leaving between 200,000 and 300,000 rebels dead. |
| 1914 | 8 August | The East African Campaign East African Campaign (World War I) The East African Campaign was a series of battles and guerrilla actions which started in German East Africa and ultimately affected portions of Mozambique, Northern Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and the Belgian Congo. The campaign was effectively ended in November 1917... of the First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... begins. |
| 3–5 November | The Battle of Tanga Battle of Tanga The Battle of Tanga, sometimes also known as the Battle of the Bees, was the unsuccessful attack by the British Indian Expeditionary Force “B” under Major General A.E. Aitken to capture German East Africa during World War I in concert with the invasion Force “C” near Longido on the slopes of... , the first major military engagement of the First World War, takes place. |
|
| 1916 | 4 September | Dar es Salaam is occupied by troops from the United Kingdom and South Africa. |
| 1919 | 28 June | Following the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of... divides German East Africa, with the United Kingdom acquiring the largest section which it names the Tanganyika Territory Tanganyika Territory Tanganyika Territory was a British colony between 1919 and 1961. Prior to the end of the First World War was part of the German colony of German East Africa. After the war had broke out, the British invaded the German East Africa, but were unable to defeat the German Army... . |
| 1920 | 10 January | The British mandate League of Nations mandate A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for administering the territory on behalf of the League... over Tanganyika comes into force. |
| Sir Horace Byatt is appointed the first governor of Tanganyika. | ||
| 1929 | The Tanganyika African Association Tanganyika African Association The Tanganyika African Association was a Tanganyikan political association, formed in 1929. It was founded by civil servants including Ali Saidi, members of an earlier association called the Tanganyika Territory African Civil Service association. It was transformed into the Tanganyika African... is founded by members of the Tanganyika Territory African Civil Service association. |
|
| 1946 | 13 December | British mandate over Tanganyika is converted to a United Nations Trusteeship. |
| 1954 | 9 June | Germany returns the skull of Hehe chief Mkwawa Chief Mkwawa Paramount Chief Mkwavinyika Munyigumba Mwamuyinga , more commonly known as Chief Mkwawa, was a Hehe tribal leader in German East Africa who opposed the German colonisation. The name "Mkwawa" is derived from Mukwava, itself a shortened form of Mukwavinyika, meaning "conqueror of many lands"... (d. 1898) to Tanzania and it is put on display near Iringa Iringa Iringa is a city in Tanzania with a population of 112,900 . It is situated at a latitude of 7.77°S and longitude of 35.69°E. The name is derived from the Hehe word lilinga, meaning fort.... . |
| 7 July | Julius Nyerere Julius Nyerere Julius Kambarage Nyerere was a Tanzanian politician who served as the first President of Tanzania and previously Tanganyika, from the country's founding in 1961 until his retirement in 1985.... forms the Tanganyika African National Union Tanganyika African National Union The Tanganyika African National Union was the principal political party in the struggle for sovereignty in the East African state of Tanganyika . The party was formed from the Tanganyika African Association by Julius Nyerere in July 1954 when he was teaching at St. Francis' College... (TANU) and becomes its first president. |
|
| 1961 | October | The University College, Dar es Salaam is established as one of three constituent colleges of the University of East Africa University of East Africa The University of East Africa was established in 1963 and served Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The University was originally instituted as an independent external college of the University of London. In 1970 it was split into three independent universities which are now:*University of Nairobi... , with 14 law students. |
| 9 December | Tanganyika becomes an autonomous Commonwealth realm Commonwealth Realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six... , with Julius Nyerere as Prime Minister. |
|
| 14 December | Tanganyika becomes a member of the United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... . |
|
| 1962 | 22 January | Julius Nyerere resigns as Prime Minister and is succeeded by Rashidi Kawawa Rashidi Kawawa Rashidi Mfaume Kawawa was the Prime Minister of Tanganyika in 1962 and of Tanzania in 1972-77. He was the effective ruler of the country from January to December 1972 while Julius Nyerere toured the countryside. Kawawa was a strong advocate of economic statism... . |
| 9 December | Tanganyika becomes a republic Republic A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of... with Julius Nyerere as its first President. |
|
| 1963 | 16 December | Zanzibar becomes a member of the United Nations. |
| 19 December | Zanzibar receives independence from the United Kingdom, becoming a constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution... . |
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| 1964 | 12 January | The Zanzibar Revolution Zanzibar Revolution The Zanzibar Revolution by local African revolutionaries in 1964 overthrew the Sultan of Zanzibar and his mainly Arab government. An ethnically diverse state consisting of a number of islands off the east coast of Tanganyika, Zanzibar had been granted independence by Britain in 1963... by local Africans overthrows the Sultan of Zanzibar and his primarily Arab government. Sheikh Abeid Karume Abeid Karume Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume , was the first President of Zanzibar. He obtained this title as a result of a popular revolution which lead to the deposing of the last Sultan in Zanzibar during... becomes the first President of Zanzibar President of Zanzibar The President of Zanzibar is the head of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, which is a semi-autonomous government within Tanzania. The current President is Ali Mohamed Shein. The President is also the chairman of the Revolutionary Council, whose members are appointed by the President, and... . |
| 26 April | The Republic of Tanganyika Tanganyika Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika... and the Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba unite to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. |
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| 1 November | The United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar changes its name to the United Republic of Tanzania Tanzania The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state... . |
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| 1965 | 21 September | President Nyerere is returned to power in a one-party election. |
| 1 October | Nyerere is sworn in for his second presidential term. | |
| 1967 | 5 February | President Nyerere issues the Arusha Declaration Arusha Declaration The Arusha Declaration was made by Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere on 5 February 1967, outlining the principles of Ujamaa to develop the nation's economy... , outlining the principles of Ujamaa Ujamaa Ujamaa was the concept that formed the basis of Julius Nyerere's social and economic development policies in Tanzania just after it gained independence from Britain in 1961... . |
| 1969 | 24 September | The Arusha Agreement Arusha Agreement The Arusha Agreement was a treaty signed on September 24, 1969 in Arusha, Tanzania, between the European Community and the three East African states of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The agreement entered into force on January 1, 1971, concomitant with the second Yaoundé Convention, with the aim of... is signed between the European Union European Union The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958... and the East Africa East Africa East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:... n states of Kenya Kenya Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east... , Tanzania, and Uganda Uganda Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by... . |
| 1970 | 1 July | Tanzania's first university, the University of Dar es Salaam University of Dar es Salaam The University of Dar es Salaam is a university in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam. The university was born out of a decision taken in 1970 to split the then University of East Africa into three independent universities; Makerere University , University of Nairobi and University of Dar es... is founded from the split of the University of East Africa into three national universities. |
| 1971 | 1 January | The Arusha Agreement is enacted. |
| 1972 | 7 April | Vice President Abeid Karume is assassinated in Zanzibar Town. |
| 11 April | Aboud Jumbe becomes the second President of Zanzibar and Vice President of Tanzania. | |
| 1976 | Archaeologist Mary Leakey Mary Leakey Mary Leakey was a British archaeologist and anthropologist, who discovered the first skull of a fossil ape on Rusinga Island and also a noted robust Australopithecine called Zinjanthropus at Olduvai. For much of her career she worked together with her husband, Louis Leakey, in Olduvai Gorge,... and her team discover homoinid Hominidae The Hominidae or include them .), as the term is used here, form a taxonomic family, including four extant genera: chimpanzees , gorillas , humans , and orangutans .... fossil Trace fossil Trace fossils, also called ichnofossils , are geological records of biological activity. Trace fossils may be impressions made on the substrate by an organism: for example, burrows, borings , urolites , footprints and feeding marks, and root cavities... footprints at Laetoli Laetoli Laetoli is a site in Tanzania, dated to the Plio-Pleistocene and famous for its hominin footprints, preserved in volcanic ash . The site of the Laetoli footprints is located 45 km south of Olduvai gorge.-Date:... , south of the Olduvai Gorge Olduvai Gorge The Olduvai Gorge is a steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley that stretches through eastern Africa. It is in the eastern Serengeti Plains in northern Tanzania and is about long. It is located 45 km from the Laetoli archaeological site... . |
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| 1977 | 5 February | Tanganyika African National Union Tanganyika African National Union The Tanganyika African National Union was the principal political party in the struggle for sovereignty in the East African state of Tanganyika . The party was formed from the Tanganyika African Association by Julius Nyerere in July 1954 when he was teaching at St. Francis' College... (TANU) and Zanzibar's Afro-Shirazi Party Afro-Shirazi Party The Afro-Shirazi Party was the union between the mostly Shiraz Party and the mostly African Afro Party in the island of Zanzibar. The formation of ASP led to the ouster of the Arabs from power with the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964. The party joined with the Tanganyika African National Union to... merge to become Chama Cha Mapinduzi Chama Cha Mapinduzi The Chama cha Mapinduzi is the ruling political party of Tanzania.- History :The party was created February 5, 1977, under the leadership of Julius Nyerere as the merger of the Tanganyika African National Union , the then ruling party in Tanganyika, and the Afro-Shirazi Party , the then ruling... (CCM). |
| 18 April | The border between Tanzania and Kenya is closed. | |
| 25 April | The constitution of Tanzania is adopted. | |
| 1978 | 27 October | Uganda Uganda Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by... n forces under Idi Amin Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military... invade Tanzania, starting the Uganda–Tanzania War, also known as the Liberation War. |
| 1979 | 11 April | Tanzanian troops capture the Ugandan capital of Kampala Kampala Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen... , heralding the end of the Uganda–Tanzania War and Amin's regime. |
| 1983 | Tanzania's first AIDS diagnosis is made in Bukoba district, Kagera Region Kagera Region Kagera Region is located in the northwestern corner of Tanzania. Bukoba, Kagera Region's capital, is a fast growing town situated on the shore of Lake Victoria. Bukoba lies only 1 degree south of the Equator and is Tanzania's second largest port on the lake. The region neighbors Uganda, Rwanda and... . |
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| 17 November | The Tanzania–Kenya border reopens. | |
| 1984 | 31 January | Ali Hassan Mwinyi Ali Hassan Mwinyi Ali Hassan Mwinyi is a Tanzanian politician. He was the second President of the United Republic of Tanzania from 1985 to 1995. Previous posts include Interior Minister and Vice President... is sworn in as the third President of Zanzibar and Vice President of Tanzania. |
| 1985 | 5 November | Julius Nyerere retires and Ali Hassan Mwinyi becomes the second President of Tanzania. Mwinyi is succeeded as Vice President by Joseph Sinde Warioba Joseph Sinde Warioba Joseph Sinde Warioba served as Prime Minister of Tanzania from 1985 to 1990. Furthermore, he served concurrently as the country's Vice President. He is currently a Judge on the East African Court of Justice.... . |
| 1990 | October | Ali Hassan Mwinyi wins a single-party election with 95.5% of the vote and is sworn in for a second presidential term. |
| 1992 | 28 May | The Civic United Front Civic United Front The Civic United Front is a liberal party in Tanzania. Although nationally-based, most of the CUF's support comes from the Zanzibar islands of Unguja and Pemba... is formed. |
| 1995 | 29 October | Tanzania holds its first multi-party election Tanzanian general election, 1995 General elections were held in Tanzania on 29 October and 29 November 1995. They were the first multi-party general elections after the lifting of the ban on political parties other than Chama Cha Mapinduzi in 1992... . |
| 23 November | Benjamin Mkapa Benjamin Mkapa Benjamin William Mkapa was the third President of the United Republic of Tanzania and former Chairman for the Revolutionary State Party .-Biography:... is sworn in as the third President of Tanzania. |
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| 1973 | February | The Tanzanian parliament moves from Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ... to the new capital of Dodoma Dodoma Dodoma , officially Dodoma Urban District, population 324,347 , is the national capital of Tanzania, and the capital of the Dodoma region. In 1973, plans were made to move the capital to Dodoma... . |
| 1998 | 7 August | The United States embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi Nairobi Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is... , Kenya are simultaneously bombed 1998 United States embassy bombings The 1998 United States embassy bombings were a series of attacks that occurred on August 7, 1998, in which hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous truck bomb explosions at the United States embassies in the East African capitals of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. The date of the... . |
| 1999 | 14 October | Julius Nyerere Julius Nyerere Julius Kambarage Nyerere was a Tanzanian politician who served as the first President of Tanzania and previously Tanganyika, from the country's founding in 1961 until his retirement in 1985.... dies of leukaemia in London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... . |
| 30 November | The East African Community Treaty East African Community Treaty The East African Community Treaty was signed on November 30, 1999 in Arusha, Tanzania between President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi of Kenya, President Yoweri Kaguat Museveni of Uganda and President Benjamin William Mkapa of Tanzania. The accord established the East African Community whereby all... between Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda is signed in Arusha. |
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| 2000 | 7 July | The East African Community Treaty comes into force. |
| 29 October | Benjamin Mkapa is re-elected as President of Tanzania, with 72 percent of the vote. | |
21st century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 28 January | Demonstrators in Zanzibar protesting the 2000 elections, clash with police and 32 people are killed. |
| 5 July | Ali Mohamed Shein Ali Mohamed Shein Dr.Ali Mohamed Shein Currently the 7th President of Zanzibar and the first President ever from Pemba Island . The former Vice President of Tanzania is originally from the island of Pemba. Dr.Shein is a member of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party... becomes Vice President of Tanzania. |
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| December | The government controversially decides to spend £28m on a new air traffic control system. | |
| 2002 | 24 June | The Igandu train disaster Igandu train disaster The Igandu train disaster was an accident which occurred during the early morning of the 24 June 2002 in the East African country of Tanzania when a large passenger train with over 1,200 people on board rolled backwards down a hill into a stationary goods train, killing 281 people in the worst rail... kills more than 200 people and is Tanzania's worst train crash. |
| July | Mkapa's government is criticized for purchasing a £15m presidential jet shortly before reaching an agreement with the UK for £270m in aid. | |
| 2003 | December | The Kipunji Kipunji The kipunji is a species of Old World monkey that lives in the highland forests of Tanzania. It is the only member of its genus. Also known as the highland mangabey, it is about three feet long and has long brown fur, which stands in tufts on the sides and top of its head. Its face and eyelids... , a new species of monkey, is found in Tanzania—the first new African monkey species since 1974. It is also independently discovered in July 2004. |
| 2005 | 14 December | General elections are held. Anna Senkoro Anna Senkoro Anna Claudia Senkoro is a Tanzanian politician and member of the Progressive Party of Tanzania-Maendeleo . Running as the PPT-Maendeleo presidential candidate in the 14 December 2005 elections, Senkoro placed eighth out of ten candidates, receiving 0.17% of the vote... of the Progressive Party of Tanzania–Maendeleo is the first woman in Tanzania to run for President. |
| 21 December | Jakaya Kikwete Jakaya Kikwete Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete is the 4th and current President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Kikwete was born in Msoga, Bagamoyo District, Tanganyika in present day Tanzania... is sworn in as the fourth President of Tanzania. |
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| 30 December | Edward Lowassa Edward Lowassa Edward Ngoyai Lowassa is a former Prime Minister of Tanzania, serving under President Jakaya Kikwete. He took office on 30 December 2005 and resigned on 7 February 2008 following a parliamentary committee report on corruption within the cabinet.... is sworn is as Prime Minister. |
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| 2006 | 11 May | Scientists announce that the Kipunji monkey found in 2003 belongs to a new genus Genus In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia... of African monkey—the first to be discovered since 1923. |
| 9 August | $642m of Tanzania's debt is cancelled by the African Development Bank African Development Bank The African Development Bank Group is a development bank established in 1964 with the intention of promoting economic and social development in Africa... . |
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| 2008 | 6 February | A parliamentary committee reports on corruption within the cabinet. |
| 7 February | Prime Minister Edward Lowassa and two other ministers resign following the report on corruption. President Kikwete dissolves the cabinet. |