Years in Ghana - Major Years and Events

Major Years and Events

  • 1482 - the Portuguese become first Europeans to set up trading settlement in Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • 1874 - the British declare coastal area of the Gold Coast as a colony.
  • 1925 - First legislative council elections take place.
  • 1957 March - Ghana becomes independent with Kwame Nkrumah as prime minister.
  • 1960 - Ghana becomes a republic. Kwame Nkrumah becomes the country's first elected president.
  • 1964 - Kwame Nkrumah declares that there will be no other political party apart from the Convention People's Party (CPP).
  • 1966 - Nkrumah is overthrown in military coup by Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka.
  • 1969 - Kofi Busia is elected prime minister after a new constitution is drawn.
  • 1972 - Busia is overthrown by Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, in military coup.
  • 1978 - Acheampong is made to resign; General Frederick Akuffo takes over.
  • 1979 - Akuffo overthrown in another coup by Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings. Acheampong and Akuffo tried and executed on charges of corruption.
  • 1979 September - Dr. Hilla Limann is elected as president of the Ghana.
  • 1981 - Limann is overthrown by Rawlings in military coup. This was after two years of weak government and economic stagnation.
  • 1983 - Rawlings implements conservative economic policies.
  • 1992 - Referendum approves new constitution introducing a multiparty system.
  • 1992 - Rawlings is elected president of Ghana.
  • 1994 - 1000 Ghanaians killed and with 150,000 displaced in the Northern region after between the Konkomba and the Nanumba ethnic groups over land ownership.
  • 1994 - They later sign peace agreements with seven other ethnic groups.
  • 1995 - Curfew imposed in the Northern Region after ethnic violence re-erupts leads to 100 deaths.
  • 1996 - Jerry Rawlings re-elected as president of Ghana.
  • 2000 - December - John Kufuor is elected president of Ghana after defeating John Atta Mills in the presidential elections.
  • 2001 May - 126 die due to stampede in the Accra Sports Stadium. Inquiry implicate the Police for overreacting to crowd disturbances.
  • 2001 June - Government cancels the celebration of June 4 revolution (the coup that brought Jerry Rawlings to power).
  • 2002 April - Overlord of Dagbon, Ya Na Yakubu Andani and 30 others killed in Dagbon. A State of emergency is declared by government, it was lifted August 2004.
  • 2002 May - National Truth and Reconciliation commission inaugurated by President Kufuor, with the purpose to investigate human rights violations during Ghana's military rule.
  • 2003 October - Government approves merger of two gold-mining firms, leading to the formation of Anglogold Ashanti.
  • 2004 December - John Kufuor re-elected as president of Ghana.
  • 2006 - Ghana National football team, the black stars play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
  • 2007 March - Ghana @ 50 celebrations mark 50 years of independence from Britain.
  • 2007 June - Ghana discovers oil in commercial quantities. The oil reserves total 3 billion barrels.
  • 2008 December - John Atta Mills elected president.
  • 2009 July - US President Barack Obama visits, making the first Sub-Saharan country to be visited by the 44th President of the United State.
  • 2009 October - Sale of Ghana Telecom to Vodafone of the UK
  • 2010 December - Offshore oil production begins.
  • 2012 July - On July 24th, President John Atta Mills died. John Dramani Mahama was sworn in as substantive president in less than 12 hours after John Atta Mills died. State burial for the late president was held on the 8th through to the 10th of August. Attah Mills was buried at the place now known as the Asomdwoe Park

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