August 31

August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 123 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

Pre-colonial period

• 1790 – Increased Lunda and Bemba interactions led to extended trade networks in northern Zambia, with ivory and iron smelting becoming significant for regional exchange.

Colonial period

• 1924 – The British South Africa Company officially transferred the administration of Northern Rhodesia to the British Colonial Office, marking the beginning of direct British colonial rule.
• 1956 – The Kariba Dam construction reached a major milestone as excavation works for the foundation were completed, setting the stage for one of the largest hydroelectric projects in Africa.

Post-independence

• 1968 – President Kenneth Kaunda launched the "Mulungushi Reforms," announcing partial nationalization of key industries, including mining and banking.
• 1991 – Multiparty talks intensified between UNIP and the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), paving the way for democratic elections later that year.
• 2014 – Zambia qualified for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations after a 1–0 victory over Sudan in Lusaka.

Births

• 1936 – Emmanuel Mwamba, Zambian diplomat and public servant.
• 1986 – Felix Katongo, Zambian international footballer.

Deaths

• 2001 – Reuben Kamanga (b. 1929), Zambia's first Vice-President and independence leader.