1960 — Mali's Independence Day

On September 22, 1960, Modibo Keïta proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Mali, with Bamako as its capital. The declaration came weeks after the breakup of the Mali Federation: Senegal withdrew from the short-lived union with French Sudan in August 1960, leaving Keïta to go it alone. Keïta, a former teacher and trade unionist, became Mali's first president.

He pursued a socialist path, withdrawing from the CFA franc zone and nationalizing key industries, and became a leading voice of pan-Africanism and the Non-Aligned Movement, alongside Kwame Nkrumah, Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Sékou Touré. Overthrown in a 1968 military coup, Keïta died in detention in 1977 and is honored today as a national hero.