22nd April

1922, African-American Jazz musician and composer Charles Mingus was born on this day.



1834, Britain decides to take control of St. Helena, from the British East India Company, making the Island a British crown colony. Today, St. Helena is the second oldest British colony after Bermuda.

1960, after a series of violence rocked many cities around South Africa, the government declares a state of emergency, which resulted in over 1,500 people being detained, including ANC leader Nelson Mandela being detained.

1984,Britain severs diplomatic links with Libya, following the shooting to death of a British police woman Yvonne Fletcher, in front of the Libyan embassy in London. She was part of a group of Police officers who were dispatched to maintain order during a protest by Libyan dissidents against the Libyan government in front of the Libyan embassy. It took fifteen years before Al Ghaddafi finally accepted responsibility and agreed to pay compensation to Fletcher’s family.

1990, a group of military officers led by Major Gideon Orkah lead a brief coup against General Ibrahim Babangida who was head of state at that time. Babangida however managed to regain control of the nation later.