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France negotiated Guinea's present boundaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the British for Sierra Leone, the Portuguese for their Guinea colony (now Guinea-Bissau), and Liberia. Under the French, the country formed the Territory of Guinea within French West Africa, administered by a governor general resident in Dakar. Lieutenant governors administered the individual colonies, including Guinea.
Led by Ahmed Sékou Touré, head of the Democratic Party of Guinea (PDG), which won 56 of 60 seats in 1957Events January January 2 San Francisco and Los Angeles stock exchanges merge. January 3 Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch January 4 After 69 years the last issue of Colliers magazine is published January 5 Russell Endean becomes t territorial elections, the people of Guinea in a September 1958 plebiscite overwhelmingly rejected membership in the proposed French Community. The French withdrew quickly, and on October 2October 2nd is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. Events 1187 Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule. 1535 Jacques Cartier discovers Montreal, Quebec. 1780 American Revolu, 1958Events January January 1 Treaty of Rome founding the EU is implemented January 4 Sputnik 1 falls to Earth from its orbit (launched on October 4 1957) January 8 14 year old Bobby Fischer wins the United States Chess Championship January 18 Armed Lumbee Nat, Guinea proclaimed itself a sovereign and independent republic, with Sékou Touré as president.
Under Touré, Guinea became a one-party dictatorship, with a closed, socialized economy and no tolerance for human rights, free expression, or political opposition, which was ruthlessly suppressed. Originally credited for his advocacy of cross-ethnic nationalism, Touré gradually came to rely on his own Malinke ethnic group to fill positions in the party and government. Alleging plots and conspiracies against him at home and abroad, Touré's regime targeted real and imagined opponents, imprisoning many thousands in Soviet-style prison gulagGulag (from the Russian — G lavnoye U pravleniye Ispravitelno-trudovykh Lag erey", "The Chief Directorate of Corrective Labor Camps") was the branch of the Soviet internal police and security service that operated the penal system of forced labor camps.s, where hundreds perished. The regime's repression drove more than a million Guineans into exile, and Touré's paranoia ruined relations with foreign nations, including neighboring African states, increasing Guinea's isolation and further devastating its economy.
Sékou Touré died on March 26March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). There are 280 days remaining. Events 1026 Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. 1552 Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh Guru 1636 Utrecht University is, 1984This page is about the year 1984. For other uses of 1984, see 1984 (disambiguation). 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday (link shows calendar). Events January January 1 Brunei becomes a fully independent state January 1 AT&T is broken up into 22 indepe, and a military junta headed by then-Lt. Col. Lansana ContéLansana Cont (born 1934) is the President of Guinea (since 1984). Conte seized power in a military coup on April 3, 1984, a week after the death of President Ahmed Sekou Toure. He survived coup attempts against him in 1985 and 1996. In the early 1990s, un seized power on April 3April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. Events 1559 The Treaty of the Peace of Cateau-Cambresis is signed. 1860 The first successful Pony Express run from Saint Joseph, Missouri to Sacra, 1984This page is about the year 1984. For other uses of 1984, see 1984 (disambiguation). 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday (link shows calendar). Events January January 1 Brunei becomes a fully independent state January 1 AT&T is broken up into 22 indepe.