Eswatini, then called Swaziland, became independent from Britain with King Sobhuza II as head of state. The kingdom had taken shape in the nineteenth century under rulers such as Mswati II, from whose name the nation's present name derives, and it came under British protection after the South African War, with a formal protectorate from 1903. During the 1960s the British prepared the country for independence, and a constitution and elections were introduced. Shortly after independence, Sobhuza repealed the constitution, and for decades the monarchy retained wide powers. In 2018 King Mswati III changed the country's name to Eswatini, meaning land of the Swazis, on the fiftieth anniversary of independence. It remains one of the last absolute monarchies in the world.
Before and after
- 28 July 1968Rise of American Indian Movement
- 5 August 1968Birth of Marine Le Pen
- 9 August 1968Birth of Gillian Anderson
- from 26 August 1968 to 29 August 19681968 Democratic National Convention
- 6 September 1968Founding of Eswatini
- 9 September 1968Birth of Lila Downs
- 17 September 1968Birth of Anastacia
- 11 October 1968Launch of Apollo 7
- 18 October 1968Bob Beamon's long jump of 8.90 metres
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 10 July 1973Founding of The Bahamas
- 1974Founding of Grenada
- 1975Founding of Papua New Guinea
- 1978Founding of Solomon Islands
- 1 October 1978Founding of Tuvalu
- 1 November 1981Founding of Antigua and Barbuda
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.