In 1979 Rhodesia ends 90 years of white rule and becomes Zimbabwe –Rhodesia.
On the 30th of October 1888 head of the British South Africa Company, Cecil Rhodes (with the signing of the Rudd concession) gained exclusive rights to diamond mines in the area that would become Rhodesia (and now Zimbabwe) from King Lobengula of the Ndebele people. Soon after a white settlement was built and in 1895 the area became known as Rhodesia after Cecil.
In 1923 Rhodesia became gained its own parliament and became a British Colony with the parliament consisting of white settlers and their descendants.
In 1965 the United Kingdom considered granting independence to Rhodesia on the bases of a democratic government. On the 11th of November 1965 the Prime Minister of Rhodesia, Mr Ian Smith, illegally declared independence from the United Kingdom in an attempt to keep control of the country in the hands of the white minority (220,000 white residents compared to 4 million Black residents). Prime Minister Ian Smith wanted acceptance from the international community but this was not the case. The declaration of Independence was condemned by the UN, and the US and UK placed sanctions on the country. On this day in 1970 Mr Smith continued his attempts to keep control of Rhodesia by declaring it a republic claiming that it would bring international recognition. It just brought more condemnation from the international community and Rhodesia became an unrecognised state during Ian Smiths reign as Prime Minister. Fighting began later in the 1970’s between the government and a black majority movement. This led to the end of Ian Smith as Prime Minister when Abel Muzorewa became Prime Minister of Rhodesia-Zimbabwe, as it was known, on this day in 1979. Robert Mugabe was seen as a hero for the countries independence and spent 10 years in prison during Ian Smiths government. Mugabe was elected as Prime Minister on the 18th of April 1980 when the country was renamed Zimbabwe and declared independence, which was internationally recognised. In 1981 Mugabe initiated a one party political system and assumed office as President of Zimbabwe on the 22nd of December 1987 and has been continually re-elected. Many human rights atrocities have been attributed to Robert Mugabe’s government.
In 1533 Anne Boleyn’s coronation as Queen of England took place at Westminster.
Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn on the 25th of January 1533 and on the 23rd of May 1533 Thomas Cranmer (who would become archbishop of Canterbury later that year on the 3rd of December) annulled the wedding between Henry and Catherine. On the 28th of May Henry and Anne’s wedding was blessed by Cranmer and she became the new Queen of England. On the 7th of September she gave birth to their daughter Elizabeth (who would become Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland) and despite wanting a male heir Henry loved her. He trusted that Anne would soon give him a son but after many miscarriages Henry grew weary of Anne, seeking the company of other women and by March 1536 he was courting Jane Seymour. Henry had Anne arrested for high treason and she was sent to the tower of London on the 2nd of April 1536. She was tried for treason, adultery and even incest with no apparent evidence and found guilty on this day in 1536. On the 19th of May Anne was beheaded but when her daughter Queen Elizabeth I came to power she venerated her mother of all charges and proclaimed her a martyr. King Henry VIII married Jane Seymour on the 30th of May 1536 but she died two weeks after giving birth to their son Edward (who would become Edward VI of England and Ireland) on the 24th of October 1537.
