Home > Gnassingbé Eyadéma

Born in the town of Pya , his original given name was Étienne, which he Africanized in 1974. Eyadema served in the French army ( 1953 – 1961) in Algeria and IndochinaIndochina or French Indochina was a federation of French colonies and protectorates in south-east Asia, part of the French colonial empire. It consisted of Cochin China, Tonkin, Annam (all of which now form Vietnam), Laos and the Khmer Republic (now Cambo, however, when Togo became independent in 1960Events January-February January 1 Independence of Cameroon January 9 Aswan High Dam construction begins in Egypt January 11 Chad declares its independence. January 14 Ralph Chubb, the gay poet and printer, dies at Fair Oak Cottage in Hampshire. January 23, he and other veterans of the French military were denied entry into the army by the country's first president, Sylvanus OlympioSylvanus Epiphanio Olympio ( 1902 1963) was a Togolese political figure. He served as the Prime Minister of Togo from 1958 to 1963. He then served as the first President of Togo between 1961 and 1963, when he was assassinated in a military coup d'etat.. This led to a coup against Olympio by the disenfranchised soldiers on January 13, 1963Events January-March January 11 The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. January 14 George Wallace becomes governor of Alabama. January 22 Elysee treaty between France and Germany January 28 Black student Harvey. Eyadema, a leader of the coup, was then appointed the country's new chief of staff under a civilian president. Eyadema seized power again in 1967, on the anniversary of the 1963 coup, and assumed the offices of president and minister of national defense.

Eyadema subsequently won uncontested elections in 19721972 is a leap year starting on Saturday (click link for calendar). Events January events January 2 the Pierre Hotel Heist Six men rob the safety deposit boxes of the Pierre Hotel in New York City. Loot is at least $4 million January 5 President of the Un, 1979Events January-February January 1 Sino-American relations: United States and the People's Republic of China establish diplomatic relations January 4 State of Ohio agrees to pay $675,000 to families of dead and injured in Kent State University shootings., and 1986. A national conference in 1991 attempted to force him from power, but Eyadema managed to remain in power with the backing of the army. He attempted to legitimize his rule with ostensibly democratic elections in 1993, and narrowly won reelection in 1998, amid accusations of the massacre of hundreds of government opponents.

In early 2003, the constitution of Togo was changed to remove term limits on the office of president; previously, presidents had been limited to two five-year terms, and Eyadema would have therefore been forced to step down after the 2003 elections. With the removal of these limitations, however, Eyadema was free to stand again and did so, winning the elections on June 1 with 57.2% of the vote.