Patrice Lumumba

July 2, 1925: Born in Katako Kombe, Kasai Province, Congo (Zaire).

1943-1958: Lumumba worked as a nurse’s assistant, postal clerk, and a volunteer librarian. He served as secretary and later president of the Association for African Government Employees; founded Post Office Employees Club, member of the Comite de L’union Belgo-Congolaise.

1951: Married Pauline Opangu.

Oct. 5, 1958: Founded the National Congolese Movement (Movement National Congolaise-MNC) and became its president.

Dec. 11, 1958: Lumumba addressed the Pan-African Conference in Accra-Ghana.

June 23, 1960: Became first prime minister of Congo (Zaire).

June 30, 1960: Independence of the Republic of Congo (Zaire).

July 31, 1960: Secession of Katanga declared.

September 14, 1960: Colonel Mobutu neutralizes political institutions and their leaders.

October 10: Lumumba is put in guarded residence under ANC and United Nations protection.

November 27: Lumumba leaves his residence on Leopoldville (Kinshasa) to reach Stanleyville.

December 1: Lumumba arrested by ANC Mobutu soldiers and taken to Leopoldville (Kinshasa).

December 3: Lumumba transferred to Camp Hardy in Thysville.

January 17: Lumumba is transferred to Elizabethville, Katanga.

January 17, 1961: Death by assassination with two of his comrades; Mpolo and Okito.

November 23, 2001: Belgium behind icon’s murder
Belgian government ministers bore "moral responsibility" for events leading to the murder of the Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba in 1961, a parliamentary inquiry found last week

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