People, Locations, Episodes

The National Basketball Association Hires Its First Black Coach

On this date in 1966, Bill Russell was named coach of the Boston Celtics basketball team.

This appointment made him the first Black to coach an NBA professional basketball team.

To become a Coach

Zimbabwe Gains Independence From Britain

Independence for Zimbabwe came on this date in 1980 from Britain. Prime Minister Robert Mugabe consolidated his power in 1982 and dismissed Joshua Nkomo from his government.

Mugabe’s party won a landslide victory in 1985, the first general election since independence. In late 1987 the constitution was amended to replace the position of prime minister with that of executive president, which combines the posts of head of state and head of government. At that time ZANU-PF and Nkomo’s Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) agreed to merge under the name of ZANU-PF.