2.5 million B.C.
World's earliest known people live in Africa's Great Rift Valley
50,000-60,000 B.C.
Man first uses fire.
35,000 B.C.
First Homo Sapiens appear.
5000 B.C.
Agriculture comes to Africa from the Mid-East.
3100 B.C.
Upper and Lower Egypt unite to form one nation.
2500 B.C.
The Northern area of the continent begins to turn to desert.
2000 B.C.
Cities form and trade begins across the Mediterranean Sea.
500 B.C.
Kingdom of Kush rises in what is now Sudan.
300 B.C.
Kingdom of Aksum rises in what is now Ethiopia.
200 B.C.
Iron craft is spreading into Southern Africa.
30 B.C.
The Roman Empire begins to extend it's control to North Africa.
A.D. 1
Bantu speaking people begin to migrate to the south.
300
Aksum Kingdom converts to Christianity.
500
Nubian Kingdom converts to Christianity.
651-710
The Moslim Empire conquers North Africa.
1000
Empire of Kanem expands near Lake Chad
Ghana Empire rules much of Western Africa.
1000-1500
The Kongo and other kingdoms rise in Central Africa.
By 1200 the Mali Empire had taken most of West Africa.
1400s
The Songhai Empire begins to take control from Mali Empire.
Portuguese begin to explore East Coast in quest
for route around continent to get Asian spices.
1652
Dutch trade post at Cape Town is established.
1770s
Major exploration of continent's interior is begun by Europeans
in quest for natural resources and land for settlers.
Late 1700s-1860
Moslem empires rise over Western Africa.
1885
Europeans begin major effort to colonize the continent.
1914
Europeans control most of continent's people.
Ethiopia and Liberia are the only independent nations.
1945
W.W. III struggle between Western Europe, America, U.S.S.R. and China begins.
1961-63
Most European colonies finally receive "independence."
1994
Rwanda becomes the latest victim
of Europe's border conspiracy.
1998
Dollar Bill Clinton travels to Africa w/ 500 corporate executives.
The latest scramble for Africa begins. |