On This Day in South Africa: What happened on 01 January?

Here’s a look at what happened on this day, 01 January, throughout world and South African history. We remember the news, events, and people that influenced the course of history forever.

ON THIS DAY: 01 JANUARY

1972 | Policewomen were enlisted as full members of the South African Police Force for the first time.

1970 | old Indian flower seller was fined R24 or 60 days in prison for breaking the municipal by-laws.

2017 | Portuguese politician and diplomat Antonio Guterres replaced Ban Ki-moon of South Korea as Secretary General of the United Nations.

1949 | A ceasefire began in Kashmir during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948.

1993 | Czechoslovakia split into two countries: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

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BIRTHDAYS

1983 | South African politician, Nyiko Floyd Shivambu.

1957 | South African-born American film producer, Gary Barber.

1979 | Indian actress, Vidya Balan.

1991 | South African footballer, Hendrick Ekstein.

1906 | Poet and writer, Dr. Benedict Vilakazi died in October 1947.

ON THIS DAY: DEATHS

2020 | Australian rugby union player, Barry McDonald, 80.

2016 | Russian poet and journalist, Fazu Aliyeva, 84.

2019 | Australian politician, Paul Neville, 79.

2013 | American singer and actress, Patti Page, 86.

2014 | Japanese monk and educator, Higashifushimi Kunihide, 104.

SPORTS

2013 | On this day, modern chess legend Magnus Carlsen surpassed Garry Kasparov’s FIDE chess rating by reaching 2 861.

ENTERTAINMENT

1960 | American country singer Johnny Cash played the first of his many free prison concerts at San Quentin Prison on this day.

AFRICA FACT

Cape Verde is the last African country to enter New Year’s Day due to its time zone.