August 20

August 20 is the 232nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 134 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

📿 Pre-colonial period (before 1890)

• c. 1750 – Ila hunters in the central plateau (present-day Namwala District) hold annual ritual elephant hunts during the “eighth moon,” according to oral tradition.
• 20 Aug 1878 – Portuguese cartographers record the presence of Nsenga chieftaincies along the Luangwa River during a mapping expedition from Tete (Mozambique).

🏛️ Colonial era (1890–1964)

• 20 Aug 1904 – British South Africa Company reports to London that it has established “formal control” over Kazungula and the Zambezi crossing.
• 20 Aug 1929 – First African teacher training college in Northern Rhodesia opens at Lubwa Mission.
• 20 Aug 1939 – Census Ordinance passed, creating the legal foundation for population data collection in the territory.
• 20 Aug 1948 – Kenneth Kaunda attends Lubwa School’s prize-giving ceremony as prefect; shares class with future VP Reuben Kamanga.
• 20 Aug 1962 – UNIP youth protest in Chingola against British mining policy; 87 are arrested.

🇿🇲 Post-independence politics

• 20 Aug 1967 – Zambia signs the Lusaka Manifesto with 14 other African countries, pledging support for liberation movements.
• 20 Aug 1982 – President Kaunda announces cabinet reshuffle; Kebby Musokotwane becomes Minister of Finance.
• 20 Aug 1991 – MMD holds its final national convention ahead of the first multiparty elections.
• 20 Aug 2000 – Opposition parties sign a joint electoral platform in Lusaka.
• 20 Aug 2021 – President-elect Hakainde Hichilema outlines his first 100 days plan in a national address.

⚖️ Constitutional and legal milestones

• 20 Aug 1995 – Legal Aid Act comes into force, establishing the Legal Aid Board.
• 20 Aug 2013 – Constitution Technical Committee releases the first draft of the new constitution online.
• 20 Aug 2020 – Electoral Commission of Zambia publishes the official roadmap for the 2021 general election.

💰 Economy and labour

• 20 Aug 1969 – Copperbelt Trade Fair opens in Kitwe, featuring over 40 Zambian companies.
• 20 Aug 1985 – Zambia Sugar workers go on strike over housing allowances.
• 20 Aug 2009 – Zambeef lists on the Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE).
• 20 Aug 2017 – Government signs MoU with Japan for infrastructure investment along the Nacala Corridor.

🏈 Sports history

• 20 Aug 1995 – Zambia 1–0 Angola, CAN qualifier, Independence Stadium.
• 20 Aug 2011 – Zambia 2–1 Mozambique, CHAN qualifier, Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
• 20 Aug 2023 – Zambia U20 women defeat Tanzania 5–0 in COSAFA Cup, Nkoloma Stadium.

🎶 Arts and pop culture

• 20 Aug 1988 – ZNBC launches its first nationwide FM radio broadcast.
• 20 Aug 2003 – B’Flow releases debut single "Mpu Mpu."
• 20 Aug 2020 – Virtual National Arts Festival held due to COVID-19 restrictions.

🌿 Environment and climate

• 20 Aug 2006 – Dry season bushfires reported across North-Western and Western provinces.
• 20 Aug 2016 – Zambia joins the SADC Water-Energy-Food Nexus Dialogue Project.
• 20 Aug 2025 – ZEMA releases Zambia’s first National Urban Air Quality Index report; Lusaka ranked "moderate."

🚑 Disasters and incidents

• 20 Aug 1999 – Train derailment near Kapiri Mposhi injures 26 passengers.
• 20 Aug 2002 – Power outage across the Copperbelt due to faults at Kafue Gorge.
• 20 Aug 2018 – Gas leak in Ndola’s industrial zone hospitalises 14 workers.

⛪ Religion and missionary activity

• 20 Aug 1895 – Sefula Mission holds its first recorded worship service in Lozi using printed hymns.
• 20 Aug 1957 – Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) formally established at Lusaka Cathedral.
• 20 Aug 2022 – Joint Interfaith Forum convenes in Ndola on peacebuilding and climate justice.

📚 Sources and further reading

• National Archives of Zambia
• Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia archives
• Electoral Commission of Zambia reports
• FAZ match records
• Zambia Meteorological Department
• Livingstone Museum oral history archives
• ZNBC institutional records
• ZCCB and mission archives