Encyclopedia/3. History, Societies & Civilizations/09. Modern Nations/01. Africa • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
History of Congo (AI-generated, sourced to Wikipedia).
Chronological Storyline (38 Milestones)
1390 CE
Kongo Kingdom founded
The Kingdom of Kongo emerges in the region of the lower Congo River, becoming a powerful centralized state with a capital at Mbanza Kongo. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Flag of the Kingdom of Kongo, circa 17th century By Oren neu dag - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4231888
Apr 1, 1483 CE
Portuguese reach Kongo
Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão arrives at the mouth of the Congo River, initiating European contact with the Kongo Kingdom. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Portrait of Diogo Cão, as it appeared in an ancient Portuguese escudo bill. Copyright free. By Portuguese National Mint - Genea - Diogo Cão, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11484251
1491 CE
Kongo king converts to Christianity
King Nzinga a Nkuw converts to Christianity and takes the name João I, strengthening diplomatic ties with Portugal. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Flag of the Kingdom of Kongo, circa 17th century By Oren neu dag - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4231888
Oct 29, 1665 CE
Battle of Mbwila
Kongo forces are defeated by the Portuguese at the Battle of Mbwila, leading to the kingdom's decline and fragmentation. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Battle of Mbwila By Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1337145
1700 CE
Kongo civil wars begin
A series of internal conflicts and succession disputes weaken the Kongo Kingdom, leading to decades of instability. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
English (en): Country Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo By Dan Leonard - Derived from Rei-artur, LocationDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo.svg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156140393
Nov 1, 1871 CE
Livingstone meets Stanley
Henry Morton Stanley finds David Livingstone at Ujiji, an encounter that would later lead Stanley to explore the Congo River. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Sir Henry Morton Stanley, britisk-amerikansk journalist og oppdagelsesreisende. Etter reiser i Amerika og Asia tiltrådte han i 1869 i hemmelighet den berømte ekspedisjon til det indre Afrika og traff Livingstone ved Tanganyika. 1879-84 arbeidet han i belgisk tjeneste som kolonisator i Kongo og trengte 1887-89 frem til det Indiske hav. By Creator:J. Russel & Sons - National Library of Norway, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34356537
Aug 1, 1877 CE
Stanley maps Congo River
Henry Morton Stanley completes his trans-African expedition, mapping the Congo River and opening the interior to European interest. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Sir Henry Morton Stanley, britisk-amerikansk journalist og oppdagelsesreisende. Etter reiser i Amerika og Asia tiltrådte han i 1869 i hemmelighet den berømte ekspedisjon til det indre Afrika og traff Livingstone ved Tanganyika. 1879-84 arbeidet han i belgisk tjeneste som kolonisator i Kongo og trengte 1887-89 frem til det Indiske hav. By Creator:J. Russel & Sons - National Library of Norway, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34356537
Nov 15, 1884 CE
Berlin Conference begins
European powers convene in Berlin to divide Africa, effectively recognizing King Leopold II's claims over the Congo territory. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Drawing of the participants in the Berlin conference in 1884. By Adalbert von Roessler - Über Land und Meer. Allgemeine Illustrierte Zeitung, Jg. 27 (Oktober 1884-1885), Bd. 53, Nr. 14, 308)., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4259336
May 2, 1885 CE
Congo Free State established
King Leopold II of Belgium is granted personal sovereignty over the Congo Free State by international agreement at the Berlin Conference. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Flag of International African Association as well as the Congo Free State (1877-1908) and the Belgian Congo (1908-1960) By See file history below for details. - Own work., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344475
1885 CE
Rubber terror begins
Leopold's regime enforces brutal rubber quotas through violence, mutilation, and hostage-taking, causing millions of deaths over two decades. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Mutilated Congolese children and adults (c. 1900-1905) — in Congo Free State (present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) Privately owned territory of Belgian King Leopold II, with numerous enslaved rubber collection/production areas in the rainforest and on plantations. Rubber production used human rights abuses against the Congolese people, including amputations for unmet quotas and other colonial offenses. By unknown, please edit with correct data. - King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule, By Mark Twain, Boston: The P. R. Warren Co., 1905, Second Edition., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1221821
1890 CE
Conrad visits Congo
Joseph Conrad travels up the Congo River as a steamboat captain, an experience that later inspires his novel 'Heart of Darkness.' Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Blackwood's Magazine - 1899 February's cover By William Blackwood (Life time: November 20, 1776 – September 16, 1834) - Original publication: Blackwood's Magazine Immediate source: (altered from) http://www.conradfirst.net/view/image?id=22820, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20986851
Mar 1, 1904 CE
Casement Report published
British diplomat Roger Casement documents widespread atrocities in the Congo Free State, galvanizing international condemnation of Leopold's regime. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Sir Roger David Casement (1864-1916) By Unknown author, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11623083
Nov 15, 1908 CE
Belgium annexes Congo
International pressure forces Leopold II to cede the Congo Free State to Belgium, which becomes the Belgian Congo colony. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Flag of International African Association as well as the Congo Free State (1877-1908) and the Belgian Congo (1908-1960) By See file history below for details. - Own work., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=344475
Aug 1, 1914 CE
Congo enters World War I
Belgian colonial forces from the Congo join the Allied campaign against German East Africa, fighting alongside British and Portuguese troops. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
German trenches in Garua during the Kamerun Campaign (1914-1916) By Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft (DKG) - Koloniales Bildarchiv, Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24066793
1921 CE
Kimbanguist movement begins
Simon Kimbangu launches a religious movement that blends Christianity with African traditions, attracting followers and alarming colonial authorities. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
The flag of the Church of Jesus Christ on Earth by His Special Envoy Simon Kimbangu. It is sometimes seen at certain events, and is described by one of the statuses of the church. The exact form of the flag varies from parish to parish, but it is always rectangular. By Unknown author - http://archives.kimbanguisme.net/bibliotheque/officiels/statuts/statuts.htm, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156573054
Aug 1, 1945 CE
Congo uranium fuels atomic bomb
Uranium from the Shinkolobwe mine in the Belgian Congo is used in the Manhattan Project, contributing to the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
The Shinkolobwe mine was exploited by the Belgian Union Minière du Haut Katanga. The majority of the uranium used in the Manhattan Project came from that mine, thanks to the intuiton of Edgar Sengier, the CEO of the Union Minière du Haut Katanga, who had suspected that uranium would be important in war times and imported 1,000 tons of uranium ore in the United States in 1939. Contacted by the Manhattan Project people in 1942, he sold them the total stock and after refurbishment of the Shinkolobwe mine, sold them 30,000 ton between 1942 and 1944. By Chalux - http://www4.bfn.org/nuclear/shink3.jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=258113
Dec 1, 1958 CE
Lumumba founds MNC
Patrice Lumumba co-founds the Mouvement National Congolais, becoming a leading voice for Congolese independence and pan-African solidarity. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Flag of Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville), 1960-63. See also Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By See file history below for details. - Flag_of_Congo_Kinshasa.svg Construction sheet: Flags of the World - Democratic Republic of Congo - Flag Details., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14953372
Jan 4, 1960 CE
Léopoldville riots
Political riots erupt in Léopoldville, killing dozens and accelerating Belgium's timeline for granting Congolese independence. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
The Congolese Public Market in Léopoldville following the riots. By Henry Goldstein, Congopresse - Le Courrier d’Afrique, 8 January 1959. Léopoldville. p. 1 (https://img.over-blog-kiwi.com/0/93/15/04/20170717/ob_aefa6f_img-20170717-0007.jpg), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62413187
Jun 30, 1960 CE
Congo gains independence
The Republic of the Congo achieves independence from Belgium, with Patrice Lumumba as prime minister and Joseph Kasa-Vubu as president. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
English (en): Country Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo By Dan Leonard - Derived from Rei-artur, LocationDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo.svg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156140393
Jul 1, 1960 CE
Congo Crisis begins
Mutiny in the army, secession of Katanga and South Kasai, and UN intervention plunge the newly independent Congo into chaos. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
A UN refugee camp set up for Baluba people a few miles from Elisabethville during the Congo Crisis. Approximately 40,000 Baluba resided there. By Unknown author - https://archive.org/details/TheWarInKatangaTheUnitedNationsInTheCongoReportOfAMission/page/n9/mode/2up?q=Elisabethville, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56420735
Jan 17, 1961 CE
Lumumba assassinated
Patrice Lumumba is executed by firing squad in Katanga with Belgian and likely American complicity, shocking the world. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
English (en): Country Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo By Dan Leonard - Derived from Rei-artur, LocationDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo.svg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156140393
Nov 1, 1964 CE
Stanleyville hostage crisis
Belgian and US forces parachute into Stanleyville to rescue hostages held by Simba rebels during the Congo Crisis. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Original caption: "U.S. Air Force photos. Some of the hostages after the terrible shooting by the rebels".Photo is of the rescue operation of Western hostages held in Stanleyville during the Congo Crisis, on 24th november 1964. The soldier lying prone appears to be a Belgian paracommando. 50 years later he was identified by former hostages and admitted the picture was a build-up. He was asked by a photographer to lay on that spot just the time of a photograph. Indeed the hostages were killed minutes before the troops arrived and the soldiers immediately took full control of that street. Above all, the way this soldier lays is against all tactical options. By U.S. Air Force - http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/odom/odom.asp, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=341062
Nov 25, 1965 CE
Mobutu seizes power
Army chief Joseph-Désiré Mobutu stages a bloodless coup, establishing a military dictatorship that will last 32 years. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger meets with President Mobutu of Zaire in his Pentagon office, Room 3E880. By Frank Hall - This image has been extracted from another file, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=168969362
Oct 27, 1971 CE
Country renamed Zaire
Mobutu launches his 'Authenticity' program, renaming the country Zaire and promoting African cultural identity alongside his one-party rule. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Flag of Zaire (1971–1997) By User:Moyogo - Own work based on official flags, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=346197
Sep 30, 1974 CE
Ali-Foreman fight in Kinshasa
Muhammad Ali defeats George Foreman in the 'Rumble in the Jungle' boxing match in Kinshasa, a global cultural spectacle. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
English (en): Country Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo By Dan Leonard - Derived from Rei-artur, LocationDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo.svg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156140393
Mar 1, 1977 CE
Shaba I invasion
Katangese gendarmes invade Shaba province from Angola, forcing Mobutu to call on French and Moroccan military intervention. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Zairian troops (ZAF) with Moroccan military advisor By Odom, Thomas P. - Shaba II: The French and Belgian Intervention in Zaire in 1978. Fort Leavenworth: Combat Studies Institute, April 1993., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23044110
May 1, 1978 CE
Shaba II invasion
A second invasion of Shaba province by rebel forces is repelled with French, Belgian, and American military support. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
English (en): Country Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo By Dan Leonard - Derived from Rei-artur, LocationDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo.svg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156140393
Apr 1, 1990 CE
Multi-party politics allowed
Facing domestic unrest and the end of the Cold War, Mobutu announces the end of the one-party system but delays real reform. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Palais de la Nation, à Kinshasa, Bureau du Chef de l'État. By Self - Archives personelles, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1442256
Jul 1, 1994 CE
Rwandan refugees flood Congo
Over a million Rwandan Hutu refugees, including génocidaires, pour into eastern Zaire following the Rwandan Genocide, destabilizing the region. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Refugee camp for Rwandans in Kimbumba, eastern Zaire (current Democratic Republic of the Congo), following the Rwandan genocide. By CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ierh/Gallery/Zaire%201Lg.jpgNote: As of June 2011, the original URL above is no longer valid, but image was archived on 2009-01-16 by the Internet Archive and remains available at https://web.archive.org/web/20090116193006/http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ierh/Gallery/Zaire%201Lg.jpg., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=337397
Oct 1, 1996 CE
First Congo War begins
Rwanda and Uganda back Laurent-Désiré Kabila's rebellion against Mobutu, launching the First Congo War. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Map of the offensive of AFDL in the en:First Congo War. Sources are: Johnson: Kongo, Kriege, Korruption und die Kunst des Überlebens. Brandes & Apsel, Frankfurt am Main, 2009 Stearns: Dancing in the Glory of Monsters Der Spiegel 45/1996 p. 167; 7/1997 p. 128; 19/1997 p. 146 By Don-kun, Uwe Dedering - Own work, derivate of File:Democratic Republic of the Congo location map.svg, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=157573892
May 17, 1997 CE
Mobutu overthrown
Laurent-Désiré Kabila's forces capture Kinshasa, ending Mobutu's 32-year rule and renaming the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Map of the offensive of AFDL in the en:First Congo War. Sources are: Johnson: Kongo, Kriege, Korruption und die Kunst des Überlebens. Brandes & Apsel, Frankfurt am Main, 2009 Stearns: Dancing in the Glory of Monsters Der Spiegel 45/1996 p. 167; 7/1997 p. 128; 19/1997 p. 146 By Don-kun, Uwe Dedering - Own work, derivate of File:Democratic Republic of the Congo location map.svg, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=157573892
Aug 1, 1998 CE
Second Congo War erupts
Kabila's former allies Rwanda and Uganda turn against him, triggering a regional war involving nine African nations and millions of deaths. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Original caption states, "Dem. Rep. Congo: Meeting for Rape Victims Rape victims who have been successfully reintegrated into their communities assemble in a "peace hut" near Walungu, South Kivu in DRC. USAID-supported health programs have assisted rape victims with counseling, training, employment, and safe living environments." By L. Werchick / USAID - http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/photos/displayimage.php?pos=-1237, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1170045
Jan 16, 2001 CE
Laurent Kabila assassinated
President Laurent-Désiré Kabila is shot dead by a bodyguard, and his son Joseph Kabila is swiftly named as successor. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
João de Deus Pinheiro, Member of the EC in charge of External Relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries and South Africa, and the Lomé Convention, received Laurent Désiré Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The discussion focused on the armed conflict raging in the area as well as on the conditions under which cooperation and financial support from the EU could be restored. By Etienne Scholasse, European Communities - https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/photo-details/P-002547~2F01-14, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107578729
Dec 1, 2002 CE
Peace agreement signed
The Pretoria Accord formally ends the Second Congo War, establishing a transitional government and paving the way for elections. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Original caption states, "Dem. Rep. Congo: Meeting for Rape Victims Rape victims who have been successfully reintegrated into their communities assemble in a "peace hut" near Walungu, South Kivu in DRC. USAID-supported health programs have assisted rape victims with counseling, training, employment, and safe living environments." By L. Werchick / USAID - http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/photos/displayimage.php?pos=-1237, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1170045
Jul 30, 2006 CE
First democratic elections held
The DRC holds its first multiparty democratic elections in over 40 years, with Joseph Kabila winning the presidency in a runoff. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Provincial results of the 2006 Democratic Republic of the Congo presidential election (1st round) By Wowzers122 - Election results from Electoral Geography Modified version of a map from the Humanitarian Data Exchange, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=144054200
Oct 1, 2008 CE
Ebola outbreak in North Kivu
An Ebola virus outbreak strikes North Kivu province, compounding the humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo's conflict zones. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Kongo und Uganda By Gregor Rom - This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79641460
Aug 1, 2018 CE
New Ebola outbreak declared
A major Ebola outbreak begins in North Kivu and Ituri, becoming the second-largest in history and lasting nearly two years. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
Kongo und Uganda By Gregor Rom - This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79641460
Jan 24, 2019 CE
Tshisekedi elected president
Félix Tshisekedi is declared winner of the presidential election, marking the first peaceful transfer of power in the DRC's history. Source — Wikipedia, "Congo":
A 1×1 transparent image. Useful for when a template requires an image but you don't have one. By SPUI (on English Wikipedia) - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=736733
