1968 — Mauritius Gains Independence

On March 12, 1968, at the Champ de Mars Racecourse in Port Louis, Mauritius became a free nation after centuries under Dutch, French, and British rule. The island's long years under three successive colonial powers came to an end at last before the crowds gathered at the racecourse.

The country's first prime minister was Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, the London-trained doctor and son of an indentured laborer from Bihar, revered as the Father of the Nation. Exactly twenty-four years later, on the same date, Mauritius took the final step and became a republic, completing on March 12 what March 12 had begun.