Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972) was a Ghanaian politician who led the Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957 as Ghana, the first sub-Saharan African colony to achieve independence in the postwar era, and served first as prime minister and then as the country's first president. A leading advocate of pan-Africanism, he pursued rapid industrialization and played a central role in founding the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, arguing for greater political and economic unity among African states. His later years in power were marked by growing authoritarianism, including the banning of opposition parties and detention of political opponents, and he was overthrown in a military coup in 1966 while on a state visit abroad, after which he lived the rest of his life in exile.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.