this day in the yesteryear: The Rumble in the Jungle (1974)

The Rumble in the Jungle (1974)

The “Rumble in the Jungle” pitted boxer Muhammad Ali against heavyweight champion George Foreman in Zaire—now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The match is remembered for Ali’s incredible performance in regaining the heavyweight title. Surrounded by spellbound fans, he used a strategy later dubbed the “rope-a-dope” to tire Foreman before winning in the eighth round. This fight was Don King‘s first major venture as a professional boxing promoter. What musical acts were booked for the event? More… Discuss

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news: It’s a Vast World After All

It’s a Vast World After All

The world’s population currently stands at 7.2 billion and is projected to rise to between 9.6 and 12.3 billion by the end of this century. Earlier estimates had forecast a leveling off of world population around 2050, but higher-than-expected birth rates in sub-Saharan Africa mean the number of people on the planet will likely continue to rise instead. In Africa alone, the population is expected to rise from the current 1 billion to between 3.5 and 5.1 billion by 2100. More… Discuss

Democratic Republic of Congo Independence Day

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) gained independence from Belgium on this day in 1960. It had been a Belgian colony since 1907, and powerful movements had struggled for self-rule since the 1950s. The people celebrated the first independence day with fireworks and bonfires in the capital city of Léopoldville (now Kinshasa). More… Discuss

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Today’s Birthday: PATRICE LUMUMBA (1925)

Patrice Lumumba (1925)

Lumumba was an African nationalist leader and the first elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. The early years of independence were tumultuous, and Lumumba held his position for just weeks before being deposed. He was later executed by firing squad. His death was not officially announced for three weeks, and rumors swirled about US and Belgian involvement. Who had plotted earlier to kill Lumumba with poisoned toothpaste? More… Discuss

 

NEW MONKEY FOUND IN CONGO

A new species of monkey has been identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. Although the monkey is well known to local hunters, who call it the lesula, it had been unknown to science. Cercopithecus lomamiensis, as it has been named, is similar to its close relative, Cercopithecus hamlyni, the owl-faced monkey, but has different coloring that helped scientists first identify it as a possible new species. The lesula, which inhabits the remote jungles of central Congo, is the just the second new species of monkey found in 28 years. More… Discuss