On This Day In TCXPI History Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Baba wa Taifa (Father of the Nation), the First President of Tanganyika (now the United Republic of Tanzania). Mwalimu (Teacher) Julius Nyerere was born April 13, 1922 in Butiama, Tanganyika. He received a scholarship to attend Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda where he earned a teaching diploma. He taught Biology and English for three years before getting a scholarship to attend the University of Edinburgh in England where he earned his Masters of Arts Degree in Economics and History in 1952. He was the First Tanganyikan to study at a British university and the second to gain a university degree outside of Africa. In 1953, he was elected President of the Tanganyika African Association which he transformed into the leading political organization in the country. During this time, he stopped teaching and traveled the country garnering support for independence from England. On December 9, 1961, Tanganyika gained its independence and Julius Nyerere became its First Prime Minister and a year later he was elected president. In 1964, he led the union of Zanzibar and Tanganyika to form Tanzania. Mr. Nyerere retired as president in 1985 and is recognized as the “Father Of The Nation.” President Nyerere authored several books, including “African Socialism” (1961), “Freedom and Unity” (1967), and “Freedom and Socialism” (1968). He received honorary degrees from universities around the world, including Howard and Lincoln Universities in the United States. In 2007, he was posthumously awarded the Katonga, Uganda’s highest military medal, in honor of his opposition to colonialism. In 2009, Julius Nyerere was named “World Hero of Social Justice” by the United Nations General Assembly. The Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam is named in his honor. His biography, “We Must Run While They Walk: A Portrait of Africa’s Julius Nyerere,” was published in 1971. Julius Kambarage Nyerere transitioned on October 14, 1999 in London, England. Sources: thewright.org/explore/blog/entry/today-in-black-history-10142012 saints.sqpn/julius-kambarage-nyerere/
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 12:45:58 +0000
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