1966 — Namibia's Heroes' Day: The First Shots of Freedom

On August 26, 1966, South African helicopters descended on a SWAPO guerrilla camp at Omugulugwombashe in northern Namibia — and the first shots of the Namibian War of Independence were fired. Just 17 PLAN fighters faced the assault, heavily outnumbered at the opening battle of a long struggle.

That fight began a 23-year struggle against apartheid South Africa's occupation. The war ended in 1990 with independence — but it started here, on August 26. Namibia marks the day as Heroes' Day, a national holiday with ceremonies at Heroes' Acre outside Windhoek, honouring those brave fighters who first stood their ground.