In 1918 the Ottoman Empire signed an armistice with the allies ending their involvement in the First World War.
In 1888 Cecil Rhodes and King Lobengula of the Ndebele people sign the Rudd concession which led to the establishment of Rhodes (now Zimbabwe)
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 were considering 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 1485 Henry VII is crowned King of England
Henry, from the house of Tudor, fought and won the crown from King Richard III. Henry’s forces met with those of the crown on the 22ndof August 1485 at Bosworth Field. The Battle of Bosworth Field, as it became known, not only saw the death of Richard III but was also the last major battle of the ‘War of the Roses’ (1455 – 1487).
The War of the Roses came out of instability caused by the Hundred Years War and the spouts of mental illness that Henry the VI suffered. This led to civil war as two great houses, the house of York and the House of Lancaster, fought for the throne which Richard III claimed on the 26th of June 1483 for the House of York. He reigned for a little over two years until Henry Tudor and his Lancastrian forces defeated and killed him in the Battle of Bosworth Field. Henry Tudor became King Henry VII of England and was crowned on the 30th of October 1485. He later married Elizabeth of York on the 18th of January 1486, uniting the two houses which led to the end of the War of the Roses.
