2 November 1930
Haile Selassie becomes emperor of Ethiopia
On 2 November 1930, Ras (Duke) Tafari was crowned as Emperor Haile Selassie in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after the death of Empress Zaudito. An autocratic ruler, he modernized Ethiopia and led the resistance against Italian invasion (1935). Selassie was exiled in 1936, but restored to power in 1941 with the assistance of the Allies in World War II.
In the 1960s the Emperor was clearly recognized as a major force in the pan-African movement, demonstrating his remarkable capacity for adapting to changing circumstances. It was a great personal triumph for him when, in 1963, the newly founded Organization of African Unity established its headquarters in Addis Ababa.
By the 1970s the region's droughts and famines had taken their toll and Selassie began to lose popular support. Selassie was ousted by Marxist dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam during the 1974 revolution, which transformed Ethiopia into a Republic. Selassie died during the revolution while under arrest, his remains were found in 1992 beneath a toilet in the Imperial Palace, and in 2000 he was interred in the Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa.
Haile Selassie, who claimed to be a direct descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, is worshiped by Rastafarians as a Lion of Judah, meaning that he is an African messiah.
Further reading:
- Haile Selassie laid to rest (5 November 2000). news.bbc.co.uk
- History of Ethiopia. wikipedia.org
- Haile Selassie. Emperor of Ethiopia, 1930-74. answers.com
Sources:
- Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.
- Haile Selassie. notablebiographies.com
- Haile Selassie. Emperor of Ethiopia, 1930-74. answers.com