Resource 1: Some important historical events since independence

 Background information / subject knowledge for teacher

• 1958 – Internal self-government is allowed.
• 1962 (1 March) – Uganda begins self-government, with Benedicto Kiwanuka as prime minister.
• 1962 (9 October) – Uganda gains independence after nearly 70 years of British rule.
• 1962 Milton Obote leads Uganda to independence but establishes a dictatorship.
• 1962 (25 October) – Uganda is admitted as a member state to the United Nations.
• 1967 (8 September) – A new constitution comes into effect, which makes Uganda a republic.
• 1971 (25 January) – A former private in the Ugandan army, Idi Amin, seizes power in a military coup and overthrows Milton Obote. Amin declares himself president for life. Amin kills anyone who opposes him or who is perceived as a threat. Estimates of over 300,000 people, mostly Christians, were killed.
• 1972 (4 August) – President Idi Amin begins a three-month-long process to expel from Uganda 50,000 Asians with British passports. Many left almost everything they owned behind to be pilfered by Amin's henchmen and handpicked supporters. People without one day’s experience in running a business were made business owners by Amin. Their lack of experience and understanding in business only lead to further decline of the economy of Uganda.
• 1972 (17 September) – It is announced in Uganda that Tanzanian forces (later reported to be Ugandan exiles who opposed Idi Amin's government) have crossed the border and captured three Ugandan towns before being driven out by Amin's troops.
• 1972 (18 December) – Idi Amin nationalises 41 foreign-owned farms and tea estates, of which 34 were British. This eventually leads to the expulsion of all foreign business interests from Uganda, the effects of which are still felt today.
• 1976 (27 June) – Palestinian extremists hijack Air France flight 139 in Greece with 246 passengers and 12 crew. The flight eventually lands at Entebbe Airport, as Idi Amin's government alone offers them safe passage.
• 1976 (3/4 July) – Operation Jonathan takes place. Originally known as Operation Thunderbolt, this was the Israeli commando raid on Entebbe Airport led by Jonathan Netanyahu (the only commando who was killed and for whom the operation was later renamed) to free Israeli highjack victims from Air France flight 139.
• 1976 (27 July) – After four years of tension with the government of Idi Amin, Britain broke off diplomatic relations with Uganda. It had been 30 years since the British government had taken such a drastic step against another country.
• April 1979 – Tanzania invades Uganda, unifying the various anti-Amin forces under the Uganda National Liberation Front and forcing Amin to flee the country; Yusufu Lule installed as president, but is quickly replaced by Godfrey Binaisa.
• 1980 – Godfrey Binaisa overthrown by the army and Milton Obote becomes president.
• 1985 – Obote deposed in military coup and is replaced by Tito Okello.
• 1986 (26 January) – After years of civil war in which hundreds of thousands are either killed or displaced, Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army takes power. Under his leadership, Uganda has steadily achieved economic growth, the rebuilding of the shattered infrastructure, a free press and judiciary, and peace in most parts of the country.
• 1993 – President Museveni restores traditional kings, but with no political power.
• 1995 – New constitution adopted but maintains ban on political activity.
• 1996 (9 May) – Uganda holds its first presidential election in 16 years and President Yoweri Museveni wins in excess of 78% of the vote.
• 1997 (20 June) – Death of John Akii-Bua, Uganda's only Olympic gold medallist. He won the 400-metre hurdles at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
• 1997 – Ugandan Peoples Defence Force (UPDF = army) helps depose Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, who is replaced by Laurent Kabila.
• 1998 – UDPF again intervene in Zaire (newly named Democratic Republic of Congo) to help rebels seeking to overthrow Kabila.
• 1999 (2 March) – Rwandan Hutu rebels kill eight foreign tourists (gorilla trackers at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest) they had kidnapped the day before. The US government later arrest threerebels for this crime in March 2003.
• 2000 (17 March) – Nearly 500 members of the cult Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments die as a result of fire at Kanungu in southwestern Uganda. It is later discovered that as many as 500 others had been previously murdered.
• 2000 – Ugandans reject multiparty politics favouring a continuation of President Museveni's ‘no-party’ system.
• 2001 (March) – Uganda classifies Rwanda, a former ally in the war in the Congo, a hostile nation due to fighting in 2000 between the two countries' armies in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• 2001 – President Museveni wins another term, over rival Kizza Besigye by 69% to 28%.
• 2002 (March) – Uganda signs agreement with Sudan seeking to contain the rebel group, Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), active along their common border. (The LRA wants to run Uganda along lines of biblical Ten Commandments. Led by ‘prophet’ Joseph Kony they have kidnapped thousands of children and displaced many civilians.)
• 2003 (May) – Uganda pulls last of its troops from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and tens of thousands of civilians seek safety in Uganda.
• 2003 (August) – Former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin dies in Saudi Arabia.
• 2004 (February) – LRA rebels slaughter more than 200 displaced people in the north.
• 2004 (December) – Government and LRA rebels hold their first face-to-face talks, but there is no breakthrough in ending the insurgency.

Adapted from original source: http://www.ugandamission.net/ aboutug/ histimeline.html [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]