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South African history

  • Nov 27, 1480

    First ship around the cape of Africa

    Portuguese navigator Bartholomeu Dias is the first European to travel round the southern tip of Africa.
  • Jan 1, 1500

    portoguese domination of the sea route around the cape

    The portoguese is domination the sea route from India to Europe
  • The Dutch finds the Cape Colony at Table bay

    Jan van Riebeeck, representing the Dutch East India Company, founds the Cape Colony at Table Bay.
  • Britsh forces seize the Cape Colony from the dutch

    British forces seize Cape Colony from the Netherlands. Territory is returned to the Dutch in 1803; ceded to the British in 1806.
  • Diamonds found at Kimberley

  • gold discovered in the Transvaal

  • The Native National Congress founded

    Native National Congress founded, later renamed the African National Congress (ANC).
  • Land act introduced

    Land Act introduced to prevent blacks, except those living in Cape Province, from buying land outside reserves.
  • Namibia comes under South African adminstration

  • Apartheid set in law

    Policy of apartheid (separateness) adopted when National Party (NP) takes power
  • population classified by race

    Population classified by race. Group Areas Act passed to segregate blacks and whites. Communist Party banned. ANC responds with campaign of civil disobedience, led by Nelson Mandela.
  • 70 black demonstraters killed and anc banned

  • Nelson mandela declared imprisoned for life

  • ANC unbanned, Mandela Released after 27 years

  • ANC wins first non-racial election