CalEvents:Dec/Dec 15

Notable events for December 15

Date

Event

Significance

December 15, 1960

Patrice Lumumba delivered his final public speech

Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba gave his last public speech, condemning Belgian colonial rule and calling for African unity. A few weeks later, he would be captured and eventually assassinated, becoming a martyr for African liberation.

December 15, 1961

South Africa begins the Rivonia Trial

The infamous Rivonia Trial began, where Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists were charged with sabotage against the apartheid regime. Mandela’s speech from the dock during the trial became one of the defining moments of his resistance to apartheid.

December 15, 1973

Jomo Kenyatta re-elected as president of Kenya

Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of independent Kenya, was re-elected for another term. His leadership was significant in maintaining stability in post-colonial Kenya and promoting Pan-African unity.

December 15, 1993

Nelson Mandela signs South Africa's first democratic constitution

Nelson Mandela signed South Africa’s first post-apartheid democratic constitution, marking a historic moment in the country’s transition from apartheid to a democratic government that promised equal rights for all citizens.

December 15, 1997

F.W. de Klerk resigns from South African politics

F.W. de Klerk, the last president of apartheid-era South Africa, resigned from politics. De Klerk had worked with Nelson Mandela to dismantle apartheid, earning them both the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. His resignation symbolized the end of an era in South African politics.

December 15, 2013

Nelson Mandela's state funeral held in Qunu, South Africa

The state funeral for Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first Black president and a global icon of peace and reconciliation, was held in his ancestral village of Qunu. The world mourned his passing, and his legacy as a freedom fighter was celebrated globally.

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