Cyril Ramaphosa was born on 17 November 1952 in Soweto. A South African politician and businessman, Ramaphosa has been president since 2018, succeeding Jacob Zuma. As a young man he was a trade union leader, who founded the National Union of Mineworkers, and a key negotiator for the African National Congress in the talks that ended apartheid. Nelson Mandela was said to have wanted him as a successor, but he was passed over for Thabo Mbeki and moved into business, becoming one of the country's wealthiest people. He returned to politics as deputy president under Zuma. His presidency has been marked by a struggle against corruption, power shortages, and the Marikana massacre, which he faced questions about, and a coalition government after 2024.
Before and after
- 1 September 1952Publication of The Old Man and the Sea
- 5 October 1952Birth of Emomali Rahmon
- 7 October 1952Birth of Vladimir Putin
- 27 October 1952Birth of Roberto Benigni
- 17 November 1952Birth of Cyril Ramaphosa
- December 1952Discovery of fermium
- December 1952Great Smog of London
- 1953Construction of Volksparkstadion
- 1953Construction of Zurich Airport
More in Wars, politics & history
- 6 August 1945Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- from January 1978 to February 1979Iranian Revolution
- from 25 December 1979 to 15 February 1989Soviet-Afghan War
- from 22 September 1980 to 20 August 1988Iran–Iraq War
- from 20 March 2003 to 15 December 2011Iraq War
- 28 February 20262026 Iran War
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.