1961 — Tanganyika Independence

On December 9, 1961, Tanganyika became independent from Britain — the first British-administered territory in East Africa to win independence through peaceful negotiation. Julius Nyerere, Mwalimu the Teacher and founder of TANU, became prime minister, and President Kennedy sent a congratulatory message the same day.

One year later Tanganyika became a republic, and in 1964 it united with Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanzania. The path mattered as much as the day: independence won at the negotiating table, a teacher turned prime minister to lead it, and then a union that gave the new nation the name the world knows today. December 9 is where that whole story begins.