Zaire was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, adopted in 1971 as part of his policy of authenticity, which also replaced Western names and dress with African ones. Mobutu had seized power in a coup in 1965, after the turbulent years that followed independence from Belgium, and ruled as a one-party state for more than three decades, supported by the United States and other Western powers as a bulwark against communism. His regime became notorious for corruption and for the plunder of the country's mineral wealth, while the economy and infrastructure decayed. After the end of the Cold War, support faded, and in 1996-1997 a rebellion led by Laurent-Desire Kabila overthrew him, and the country took back the name Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Before and after
- 11 September 1971Death of Nikita Khrushchev
- 15 September 1971Greenpeace sails on its first voyage
- 18 September 1971Birth of Anna Netrebko
- 20 October 1971Birth of Snoop Dogg
- from 27 October 1971 to 16 May 1997Zaire
- 3 November 1971Invention of chmod
- 12 November 1971Establishment of Arches National Park
- 14 November 1971Mariner 9 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit another planet
- 15 November 1971Intel 4004
More in Civilizations & archaeology
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- 4 February 1970Origins of Pripyat
- from 2 September 1991 to 1 January 2023Republic of Artsakh
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.