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Timeline of Botswana

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The History of Botswana includes its pre-state history, its colonial period as the Bechuanaland Protectorate, and its modern history as a sovereign state.

Pre-statehood

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Early history

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19th century

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  • 1824
  • 1825 – Sebetwane of the Kololo people leads attacks against the Kwena and Ngwaketse peoples.[1]: xxiii 
  • 1826
  • c. 1828 – The Kingdom of Butua defeats the Ngwato people at Matopos.[1]: xxiii 
  • 1835 – The Kololo people defeat the Tawana people.[1]: xxiv 
  • 1841
    • July – David Livingstone of the London Missionary Society begins missionary work among the Tswana people.[1]: xxiv 
  • 1842 – The Northern Ndebele people of present-day Zimbabwe attack the Kwena people, Kgafela Kgatla, and Ngwato people. Macheng, heir to the Ngwato chiefdom, is taken prisoner.[1]: xxiv 
  • 1844
    • The Ngwato people use firearms to repel the Northern Ndebele people at Shoshong.[1]: xxiv 
    • Two rival groups emerge among the Ngwaketse people after the death of Sebego I.[1]: xxiv 
  • 1848
    • 1 October – David Livingstone baptises Sechele I of the Kwena people, who becomes head of the local church.[1]: xxiv 
  • 1852
  • 1853
    • January – Transvaal and the Kwena people come to a peace agreement. The Kwena people carry out guerrilla warfare for another three years.[1]: xxv 
    • June – The Ngwaketse people rejoin under the joint leadership of Gaseitsiwe and Senthufe.[1]: xxv 
  • 1857
    • Gaseitsiwe overthrows Senthufe and takes control of the Ngwaketse people.[1]: xxv 
    • 16 July – Lutheran missionaries begin evangelising to the Kwena people.[1]: xxv 
    • November – Robert Moffat negotiates the release of Macheng. Sechele I makes him kgosi of the Ngwato people.[1]: xxv 
  • 1859
    • April – Sechele I has Macheng overthrown and makes Sekgoma I the kgosi of the Ngwato people.[1]: xxv 
  • 1863
    • March – The Ngwato people repel another attack by the Northern Ndebele people at Shoshong.[1]: xxv 
  • 1866
    • May – Macheng is reinstated as kgosi of the Ngwato people replacing Sekgoma I.[1]: xxv 
  • 1867
  • 1870
    • April – Transvaal military leader Harklaas Malan captures Kgamanyane, kgosi of the Kgafela Kgatla, and publicly whips him.[1]: xxvi 
    • November – The Kgatla people join the Kwena people under the rule of Sechele I.[1]: xxvi 
  • 1871
    • May – Mochudi is founded when the Kgatla people migrate to the Kingdom of Kwena.[2]: 35 [1]: xxvi 
  • 1872
    • 29 August – Macheng is banished from Shoshong in an effort organised by Khama III.[1]: xxvi 
  • 1873
    • January – Sekgoma I returns as kgosi of the Ngwato people.[1]: xxvi 
    • January – A schism occurs between brothers Khama III, a Christian, and Kgamane, who joined and renounced Christianity. Khama III flees to Serowe.[1]: xxvi 
  • 1875
    • Khama III overthrows Sekgoma I and becomes kgosi of the Ngwato people.[1]: xxvi 
    • 11 August – The Kgafela people win the first battle of the Kwena–Kgafela War against the Kwena people in Mochudi.[1]: xxvi 
    • November – The Kwena people win a battle against the Kgatla people in Thamaga.[1]: xxvi 
  • 1876
    • July – The Kwena people win a battle against the Kgatla people in Molepolole.[1]: xxvi 
    • August – In response to the Dorsland Trek, Khama III requests British protection of the region.[1]: xxvi 
  • 1877 – The Dorsland Trek migrates through present-day Botswana.[1]: xxvi 
  • 1881
    • November – Ikaneng leads the Lete people in repelling an invasion.[1]: xxvi 
  • 1883 – The Kwena–Kgafela War ends. The Rolong, Ngwaketse, Kwena, and Kgatla peoples form a defense pact.[1]: xxvi 
  • 1884 – The Tawana people repel an invasion of Khutiyabasadi by the Northern Ndebele people.[1]: xxvi 

Bechuanaland Protectorate (1885–1966)

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1885–1889

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1890–1899

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  • 1890
  • 1891
  • 1892
    • January – The first of the Ngwato people enrol at Lovedale College.[1]: xxvii 
    • September – Sechele I dies. He is succeeded as kgosi of the Kwena people by Sebele I.[1]: xxvii 
    • September – Kgosi Mosinyi II of the Kaa people dies, causing a succession crisis.[1]: xxvii 
  • 1893
    • October – The British South Africa Company, British police, and the Ngwato people attack and conquer the Northern Ndebele people.[1]: xxvii 
  • 1894
    • January – Sekgoma Letsholathebe leads an attack on the Caprivi Strip to steal slaves and cattle.[1]: xxvii 
    • October – The United Kingdom reorganises territorial allotment in the Bechuanaland Protectorate to favour Khama III.[1]: xxvii 
  • 1895 – The United Kingdom splits the Bechuanaland Protectorate, merging the southern British Bechuanaland with Cape Colony, which would become present-day South Africa.[2]: 17  Tswana chiefs and British missionaries form a coalition to speak against further absorption of Tswana tribes into Cape colony.[4]: 23 
  • 1896 – The 1890s African rinderpest epizootic reaches the Bechuanaland Protectorate, killing 90% of the protectorate's cattle and causing a years-long famine.[1]: xxviii 
  • 1897
  • 1898 – Samuel Moroka leads his followers to settle in Tati.[1]: xxviii 
  • 1899
    • The borders of Batswana reserves are defined.[1]: xxviii 
    • April – The United Kingdom imposes a hut tax on the protectorate.[1]: xxviii 
    • 25 November – The Kgafela Kgatla win a battle against Boers at Derdepoort at the beginning of the Second Boer War.[1]: xxviii 

1900–1909

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1910–1919

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  • 1910
  • 1911
    • 23 January – Kwena kgosi Sebele I dies, causing a succession crisis.[1]: xxix 
    • April – Sekgoma Letsholathebe is released from prison.[1]: xxix 
  • 1914 – The protectorate joins World War I with the United Kingdom, sending soldiers to France, East Africa, and Namibia.[1]: xxix 
  • 1915
    • Maun is founded as the capital of the Batawana tribe.[2]: 39 
    • Bobonong is founded as the capital of the Birwa tribe.[1]: xxix 
    • Thousands of the Rolong people migrate from South Africa to Tati.[1]: xxix 
  • 1916
  • 1918
    • The Spanish flu reaches the Bechuanaland Protectorate.[1]: xxix 
    • 12 February – Kwena kgosi Sechele II dies. He is succeeded by Sebele II.[1]: xxix 
  • 1919
  • 1920

1920–1929

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  • 1923
    • 21 February – Mangwato kgosi Khama III dies.[1]: xxx 
  • 1926
    • 19 January – Tshekedi Khama becomes regent kgosi of the Mangwato tribe.[1]: xxx 
  • 1928
    • April – Bathoen II becomes kgosi of the Ngwaketse tribe.[1]: xxx 
  • 1929

1930–1939

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  • 1930 – Charles Rey is appointed resident commissioner of the protectorate.[1]: xxx 
  • 1931
    • 7 May – Charles Rey overthrows Kwena kgosi Sebele II and banishes him to Ghanzi.[1]: xxx 
  • 1933
    • 8 April – Kgosi Gobuamang surrenders to the British.[1]: xxx 
    • August – Charles Rey suspends Ngwato regent Tshekedi Khama after he has a European flogged.[1]: xxx 
  • 1936
    • 30 October – Charles Rey suspends Kgafela Kgatla kgosi Molefi and reinstates regent Isang Pilane.[1]: xxx 
  • 1937 – Charles Rey ends his tenure as resident commissioner. He is replaced by Charles Arden-Clarke.[1]: xxx 
  • 1939 – The protectorate enters World War II, with 10,000 Batswana serving in the African Auxiliary Pioneer Corps.[1]: xxxi 

1940–1949

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  • 1941 – Kgafela Kgatla regent Isang Pilane dies.[1]: xxxi 
  • 1942 – Kgafela Kgatla regent Mmusi joins the African Auxiliary Pioneer Corps, and the Zion Christian Church establishes a ruling council over Kgafela Kgatla.[1]: xxxi 
  • 1944 – Naledi Ya Batswana begins publication through government subsidies.[1]: xxxi 
  • 1945
    • Moremi III is suspended as kgosi of the Tawana people.[1]: xxxi 
    • Molefi is restored as kgosi of Kgafela Kgatla.[1]: xxxi 
  • 1946
    • Tawana kgosi Moremi III dies.[1]: xxxi 
  • 1947
    • February – Elizabeth Pulane Moremi is appointed as the Tawana regent.[1]: xxxi 
    • September – The Ngwato people attack the village led by John Nswazwi, forcing him to flee the protectorate.[1]: xxxi 
  • 1948 – Seretse Khama, heir to the Mangwato tribe, controversially marries Ruth Williams, a white British woman.[2]: 18  The United Kingdom banishes Khama from the Bechuanaland Protectorate.[4]: 26 
  • 1949
    • 25 June – The Mangwato tribe endorses the marriage of Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams during a kgotla. Regent Tshekedi Khama, who did not wish to endorse the marriage, leaves the tribe.[1]: xxxi [4]: 26 
    • 6 December – The Bechuanaland Protectorate takes direct control over the Ngwato tribe rather than allowing Sertse Khama to rule.[1]: xxxi 

1950–1959

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1960–1966

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Republic of Botswana (1966–present)

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1966–1969

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1970–1979

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1980–1989

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1990–1999

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2000–2009

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2010–2019

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2020–present

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr ds dt du dv dw dx dy dz ea eb ec ed ee ef eg eh ei ej ek el em en eo ep eq er es et eu ev ew ex ey ez fa fb fc fd fe ff fg fh fi fj fk fl fm fn fo fp fq fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl gm gn go Morton, Barry; Ramsay, Jeff (2018). Historical Dictionary of Botswana (5th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-5381-1133-8.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Mwakikagile, Godfrey (2009). Botswana Since Independence. New Africa Press. ISBN 978-0-9802587-8-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Botswana profile - Timeline". BBC News. 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Leith, J. Clark (2005). Why Botswana Prospered. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. doi:10.1515/9780773572416. ISBN 978-0-7735-7241-6.
  5. ^ a b Simon, Re; Kwadiba, Mto; King, Jg; Moidaki, M (2012). "A History of Botswana's Seismic Network". Botswana Notes and Records. 44: 184–192. ISSN 0525-5090. JSTOR 43855570.
  6. ^ a b c Holm, John D.; Molutsi, Patrick P. (1992). "State-Society Relations in Botswana: Beginning Liberalization". In Hydén, Göran; Bratton, Michael (eds.). Governance and Politics in Africa. L. Rienner. pp. 75–95. doi:10.1515/9781685853297. ISBN 978-1-55587-285-4.