The French colony of Gabon becomes independent with Léon M'ba as president

The French colony of Ubangi-Shari becomes independent and takes the name Central African Republic

The French colony of Senegal becomes independent, with Léopold Senghor as the new nation's first president

Nigeria wins independence, with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as prime minister, but its stability is threatened by tribal and regional factions

The French colony of Mauritania becomes independent, with Moktar Ould Daddah as president

Former British colony Sierra Leone becomes an independent state within the Commonwealth

The former British colony of Uganda becomes an independent republic, with Milton Obote as prime minister

Zanzibar becomes an independent nation and a member of the Commonwealth

Kenya becomes independent, with Jomo Kenyatta as prime minister

Hastings Banda is prime minister of the newly independent nation of Malawi, formerly Nyasaland

Kenneth Kaunda becomes president of the independent republic of Zambia, previously Northern Rhodesia

The Gambia becomes an independent member of the Commonwealth, with Dawda Jawara as prime minister

US marines intervene in civil war in the Dominican Republic to prevent a communist takeover

Former chief Seretse Khama becomes the first president of an independent Botswana

Spanish Guinea becomes an independent republic as Equatorial Guinea, with Francisco Macias Nguema as president

Portuguese Guinea becomes independent as Guinea-Bissau, with Luís Cabral as president

Portuguese East Africa becomes independent as Mozambique, with Frelimo as the only political party

The Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa, become independent as the republic of Cape Verde

The island of Papua New Guinea wins independence from Australia

Surinam wins independence from the Dutch, with Johan Ferrier as the first president

The French Territory of Afars and Issas becomes independent as Djibouti, with Hassan Gouled Aptidon as president

Rhodesia becomes independent, taking the name Zimbabwe, with Robert Mugabe as prime minister

The USA ends all aid to Nicaragua and provides funds to train and equip the Contras in neighbouring Honduras

President Reagan sends US marines to Grenada after the execution of the island's prime minister, Maurice Bishop

The CIA covertly arranges for mines to be laid in Nicaragua's harbours