August 19

August 19 is the 231st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 135 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

Pre-colonial period (before 1890)

• c. 1560 – Lunda oral chronicles record the re-shelling of the Mwant Yav royal drum on the “nineteenth day of the eighth moon”, marking the start of the annual Makishi rites still observed in North-Western Province.
• 18–19 Aug 1855 – David Livingstone’s expedition camps at Sesheke Island after descending the Zambezi; Makololo guides present him with a carved ivory tusk, later taken to Britain.

Colonial era (1890–1964)

• 1895 – Sefula Mission founded by the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society—the first permanent mission west of the Zambezi. Introduced schools, maize, and plough agriculture.
• 1911 – Northern Rhodesia Order-in-Council gazetted in London, formally creating the protectorate.
• 1930 – 4,000 African miners at Mufulira strike, demanding 5 shillings/day; action spreads to Nkana and Roan. First major Copperbelt labour unrest.
• 1938 – Pim Commission Report released; recommends £1.6 million for African education and health.
• 1940 – Second Copperbelt strike ends with 15% wage increase for African miners.
• 1952 – Mineworkers’ Union calls off a 24-hour stoppage after Roan and Nchanga agree to equal leave days for black and white miners.
• 1964 – Governor-General Sir Evelyn Hone signs the Zambia Independence Order in London (effective 24 October).

Post-independence politics

• 1973 – One-Party State Referendum results certified: 84.8% vote “YES”.
• 1979 – President Kaunda announces that the Chona Commission will begin provincial tours for constitutional consultation.
• 2008 – President Levy Mwanawasa dies in Paris; Rupiah Banda becomes Acting President.
• 2016 – UPND files supplementary evidence in presidential petition challenging the 11 August results.
• 2025 – State Funeral Planning Committee meets at State House to finalise Heroes and Unity Day logistics.

Constitutional and legal milestones

• 1996 – Constitutional amendment barring first-generation Zambians from presidential eligibility passed.
• 2020 – Constitutional Court rules that ministers who stayed in office post-parliament dissolution in 2016 must repay K4.3 million.

Economy and labour

• 1930 – First copper concentrate export (15 tonnes) shipped from Roan Antelope to Swansea.
• 1956 – Global copper price crash begins; real wages drop 18% over six months.
• 1970 – Bank of Zambia introduces the K2 banknote featuring Victoria Falls.
• 1992 – Kwacha devalued by 29% (K15 → K22 per US$) under structural adjustment.
• 2021 – ZCCM-IH signs US$1.3 billion deal with Moxico Resources for Mimbula project expansion.

Sport – Every recorded 19 August result

Football

• 1979 – Zambia 2–0 Morocco (Independence Stadium, friendly).
• 1984 – Zambia 1–1 Zimbabwe (CHAN qualifier, Rufaro Stadium).
• 1995 – Zambia 4–1 Namibia (Nations Cup qualifier).
• 2001 – Zambia 1–1 Sudan (CHAN qualifier, Khartoum).
• 2007 – Zambia 3–0 South Africa (CHAN qualifier).
• 2013 – Zambia 1–0 Lesotho (CHAN qualifier, Maseru).
• 2019 – Zambia 1–1 Benin (CHAN qualifier, Levy Mwanawasa Stadium).
• 2023 – Zambia U-17 Women defeat Morocco 3–1 on aggregate to qualify for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Arts and pop culture

• 1973 – Witch release second studio album "Lucky Mother" (Zamrock).
• 2014 – “Women of Zambia” photography exhibition opens at Lusaka National Museum (World Photography Day).
• 2025 – Slapdee headlines Mwanawasa Memorial Concert at Mulungushi ICC.

Environment and climate

• 2001 – Kasanka Trust records 10 million straw-coloured fruit bats—the world’s largest mammal migration.
• 2017 – Kariba Dam spillway opened after water level reaches 488.25m—the highest in 7 years.
• 2025 – Partial lunar eclipse visible in Zambia (03:30–06:00 CAT, peak magnitude 0.28).

Disasters and memorials

• 2005 – Chambishi explosives factory blast kills over 50—the deadliest industrial disaster in Zambia.
• 2008 – National Day of Mourning held; memorial service for Mwanawasa at Heroes Stadium.
• 2012 – Flash floods in Kanyama destroy over 200 homes.

Religion and missionary activity

• 1889 – London Missionary Society establishes a station at Kazungula—precursor to the United Church of Zambia.
• 1951 – Rev. David Kaunda (father of Kenneth Kaunda) ordained as Zambia’s first local Presbyterian minister.
• 2018 – Catholic Bishops’ Conference issues pastoral letter titled “Rebuild Our Nation”.

Government and public holiday notes (2025)

• Civil Service Day (officially observed 18 Aug); 19 Aug is a normal working day.
• Cabinet meets to discuss: 2026 budget framework, Kafue Gorge Lower hydro update, and preliminary census results.

Sources

• National Archives of Zambia: Government Gazettes (1911–2025)
• Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail archives
• Bank of Zambia statistical bulletins
• Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) match reports
• Zambia Meteorological Department & NASA Eclipse Portal
• Livingstone Museum oral history collection
• UN Climate Adaptation Expo 2025 programme