Date Event
1836 Boer Trek begins
1838 Battle of Blood River – Defeat of King Dingane’s forces
1854 Orange Free State established
1867 Diamonds discovered at Kimberly mine
1879 Battle of Islandlwana led by Cetshwayo, Zulu chief
1881 Transvaal Republic declares independence Paul Kruger becomes President
1880s South African gold rush begins at Witswatersrand
1897 Zululand incorporated into Natal province
1899-1902 Boer War
1910 Union of South Africa formed (Cape Colony + Natal + Orange Free State + Transvaal Republic)
1913 National Land Act (Territorial Segregation)
1923 Natives Urban Areas Act (Towns/Cities White only) Platinum discovered in Transvaal
1930 White women receive the vote in South Africa
1939 South Africa enter WWII on side of Great Britain
1946 African Mineworkers Strike (70,000 workers)
1948 Dr. Malan and Afrikaner National Party swept into office Policy of “apartheid” adopted as official policy
1952 Apartheid Legislation/Pass Laws
Natives Abolition of Passes and Coordination of Documents Act + Natives Urban Areas Act
1953 Bantu Education Act
1954 Sophiatown (black settlement) is dismantled
1955 Jean Sinclair starts Black Sash Movement
1958 Hendrik Vorwoerd becomes Prime Minister
1959 Pass laws expanded to include women
1960 Sharpeville Massacre – ANC banned
1964 Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment
1966 B. J. Vorster becomes Prime Minister
1976 Soweto uprising
1977 Stephen Biko dies
1978 P.W. Botha becomes Prime Minister
1990 Nelson Mandela released from prison
1994 Nelson Mandela becomes Prime Minister
1996 Truth and Reconciliation hearings begin chaired by Bishop Desmond Tutu