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May 4
1. Nigeria: Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu Promoted to General (1968)
What Happened: On May 4, 1968, Radio Biafra announced the promotion of Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu from Lieutenant Colonel to General.
How and Why: Ojukwu, leader of the state of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War, was elevated to consolidate his leadership and boost morale among Biafran forces.
Aftermath: The promotion underscored the intensifying conflict between Biafra and the Nigerian federal government. The civil war continued until 1970, resulting in significant casualties and humanitarian crises.
2. Nelson Mandela Wins South African Presidency (1994)
What happened: Nelson Mandela, after decades of imprisonment and struggle, was elected as South Africa’s first Black president, ending centuries of apartheid rule.
How and why: Years of activism, international sanctions, and negotiation with the apartheid government culminated in South Africa’s first multiracial democratic elections. Mandela’s leadership embodied reconciliation rather than revenge.
Aftermath: Mandela’s presidency marked a historic transition, but South Africa’s deep economic and racial inequalities would prove stubborn challenges for years to come.
3. Kent State Shootings (1970)
What happened: Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University, killing four and wounding nine others.
How and why: Rising antiwar sentiment, exacerbated by President Nixon’s announcement of the Cambodian Campaign, triggered campus protests. Guardsmen, poorly trained for riot control, fired live rounds into the crowd.
Aftermath: The shootings shocked the nation, fueling greater opposition to the Vietnam War and becoming a symbol of the profound divisions within American society.
