Geoffy's Historic Musings on Cape Town

Doing a very bad British salute in one of the sentry pillboxes at the historic Castle of Good Hope 

1487 - The first recorded landing in the Cape area by the Portuguese explorer Bartholomieu Dias who stated that his three ships fought storms for 3 days before being able to round the Cape.  He eventually landed at what is now Mossel Bay to allow his crew to recover from the ordeal before heading back home. 

1587 - Another Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, successfully sailed around the Cape and established an alternate sea route to India. 

1652 - The Dutch East India Company decided to set up a "Refreshing Station" for its ships to be able to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables and other supplies before heading to or coming back from the Dutch East Indies and called the settlement Cape Town.

1659 - The first South African wine is pressed and deemed to be of "excellent quality".

1666 - The foundation stones were laid for the Castle of Good Hope, the oldest surviving building in South Africa. 

1667 - As the need for manual labor increased, slavery was introduced to the Cape with the importation of workers from the Dutch East Indies. 

1668 - French Huguenots arrived after being expelled from France due to their Protestant believes and settled in what is now Franschhoek (French Corner) and started making wine, some of the best in South Africa today.

1795 - Britain captured Cape Town but returned it to the Dutch in 1803. 

1814 - The British again took it from the Dutch but this time did not give it back.

1816 - Shaka Zulu creates the Zulu Nation

1835 - Dutch Boers leave Cape Colony in the "Great Trek" inland and establish the Orange Free State and Transvaal.

1879 - British defeat the Zulus in Natal and make it a British possession.

1881 - First Anglo-Boer War ends with the British agreeing that to Transvaal being named a republic

1902 - Second Anglo-Boer War ends with the Orange Free State and Transvaal becoming self-governing colonies of the British Empire.

1910 -  Britain established the Union of South Africa which united two British and two Dutch Colonies (Cape, Natal, Transvaal and Orange River).  Blacks are excluded from having any input into this decision. 

1912 - The South African Native National Congress is formed to push for Blacks rights in the new Union of South Africa.  This would later become the African National Congress (ANC). 

1913 - The Native Land Act is passed, outlawing blacks to own land outside of reserves (except in Cape Province).

1948 - The National Party wins election on a platform of Apartheid (racial segregation).

1950 - Population classified by race.  Group Areas Act passed to segregate blacks and whites.  ANC responds with campaign of civil disobedience led by Nelson Mandela.

1960 - Seventy blacks are killed at Sharpeville Township.  ANC is banned.

1961 -  South Africa leaves the Commonwealth and becomes a republic.  ANC creates new military wing led by Nelson Mandela which launches sabotage campaigns.

1963 -  Nelson Mandela and others arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment as terrorists against the state.

1990 -  F.W. de Klerk wins the Presidency of South Africa and releases Nelson Mandela from Robben Island. 

1994 the first democratic elections for all South African citizens are held and Nelson Mandela is sworn in as South Africa's first black president.

2013 - Sadly, Nelson Mandela passed away on Friday, December 6 at the age of 95.