timeline-wh

South Africa History Timeline & Facts
 10,000BC Upper Paleolithic (the Old Stone Age) period 5000 - 3000BC Neolithic (New Stone Age) period 3000BC - 1000BC - Evidence of migration of people from Somalia and Ethiopia The Zulus, who belong to the Nguni-speaking peoples, constitute the majority of the population. Other tribes include the Khoi, San, and Xhosa 400 AD - Migration of the Bantu peoples into South Africa 700 - Trade with the Arabs and Phoenicians in ivory, rhino horn, gold, shells and slaves 1480 - Portuguese navigator Bartholomeu Dias first European to travel round the southern tip of Africa 1497 July 8 - Vasco da Gama set out on expedidition to India via Africa stopping at Mombasa, Mozambique, Malindi, Kenya, and Quilmana trading centres 1652 - Jan van Riebeeck, representing the Dutch East India Company, founds the Cape Colony at Table Bay and Dutch settlement of South Africa starts 1816 - 1826 Shaka Zulu founds and expands the Zulu empire 1835 - 1840 - The Boers leave Cape Colony and found the Orange Free State and the Transvaal 1858 - Boers proclaim the Transvaal a republic 1867 - Diamonds discovered at Kimberley 1877 - The British and the Boers defeat the Zulus 1880-81 - The Boer War - Boers rebel against the British 1880s - The gold rush 1910 - Formation of Union of South Africa by former British colonies of the Cape and Natal, and the Boer republics of Transvaal, and Orange Free State 1913 - Land Act introduced preventing Blacks from purchasing land 1948 - Policy of apartheid adopted by the National Party (NP) 1950 - Group Areas Act passed to segregate black and white people 1950 - The African National Congress (ANC) led by Nelson Mandela initiates a civil disobedience 1961 - South Africa declared a republic 1964 - Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment 1970's- 1980's - Civil unrest, sanctions imposed on South Africa, forced resettlement process and Township revolts 1990 - Nelson Mandela released from prison 1991 - De Klerk repeals remaining apartheid laws and international sanctions are lifted ** 
 *  Concise History of South Africa