44 moments

1. Birth at Ejersa Goro

   1892-07-23 · Ejersa Goro, Oromia, Ethiopia

   Tafari Makonnen, later Haile Selassie I, was born at Ejersa Goro in eastern Ethiopia.

2. Foreign tour: Alexandria

   1924-01-01 · Alexandria, Egypt

   Ras Tafari visited Alexandria during his international tour. The source supports the year, but not a more precise date for the stop.

3. Foreign tour: Amsterdam

   1924-01-01 · Amsterdam, Netherlands

   Ras Tafari visited Amsterdam during his 1924 tour. The source supports the year, but not a more precise date for the stop.

4. Foreign tour: Athens

   1924-01-01 · Athens, Greece

   Ras Tafari visited Athens during his 1924 tour. The source supports the year, but not a more precise date for the stop.

5. Foreign tour: Brussels

   1924-01-01 · Brussels, Belgium

   Ras Tafari visited Brussels during his 1924 tour. The source supports the year, but not a more precise date for the stop.

6. Foreign tour: Geneva

   1924-01-01 · Geneva, Switzerland

   Ras Tafari visited Geneva during his 1924 tour. The source supports the year, but not a more precise date for the stop.

7. Foreign tour: Gibraltar

   1924-01-01 · Gibraltar

   Ras Tafari visited Gibraltar during his 1924 tour. The source supports the year, but not a more precise date for the stop.

8. Foreign tour: Jerusalem

   1924-01-01 · Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine

   As regent and crown prince, Ras Tafari undertook a diplomatic and fact-finding tour of Europe and the Middle East. The source supports the year, but not a more precise date for the stop.

9. Foreign tour: London

   1924-01-01 · London, England, United Kingdom

   Ras Tafari visited London during his 1924 tour, which included a meeting with King George V at Buckingham Palace. The source supports the year, but not a more precise date for the stop.

10. Foreign tour: Luxembourg

    1924-01-01 · Luxembourg, Luxembourg

    Ras Tafari visited Luxembourg during his 1924 international tour. The source supports the year, but not a more precise date for the stop.

11. Foreign tour: Paris

    1924-01-01 · Paris, France

    Ras Tafari visited Paris during a tour intended in part to pursue Ethiopian access to the sea and to study European institutions. The source supports the year, but not a more precise date for the stop.

12. Foreign tour: Stockholm

    1924-01-01 · Stockholm, Sweden

    Ras Tafari visited Stockholm during his 1924 tour. The source supports the year, but not a more precise date for the stop.

13. Imperial coronation

    1930-11-02 · St. George's Cathedral, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    

    Tafari was crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I in Addis Ababa.

14. Northern-army headquarters

    1934-12-01 · Dessie, Amhara, Ethiopia

    Following the Welwel Incident, Selassie joined his northern forces and established a headquarters at Dessie before the full-scale Italian invasion. The headquarters move is stated as following the incident of 5 December 1934; the exact day is not supplied.

15. Exile residence at Fairfield House

    1936-01-01 · Fairfield House, Bath, England, United Kingdom

    Selassie established Fairfield House in Bath as his principal residence during exile from occupied Ethiopia. This card marks the beginning of a residence documented as lasting from 1936 to 1941.

16. Pilgrimage to Lalibela

    1936-01-01 · Lalibela, Amhara, Ethiopia

    During the crisis of the Italian invasion, Selassie made a solitary pilgrimage to the churches at Lalibela before returning to Addis Ababa. The source places the pilgrimage in the 1936 invasion crisis but does not give a more precise date.

17. Stay at the Rock Hotel

    1936-01-01 · Rock Hotel, Gibraltar

    On his route from the Holy Land toward Europe, Selassie stayed at Gibraltar's Rock Hotel. The source does not give a more precise date for the Gibraltar stay.

18. Battle of Maychew counterattack

    1936-03-31 · Maychew, Tigray, Ethiopia

    Selassie personally led the last major Ethiopian army on the northern front in a counterattack against Italian forces. Coordinates represent Maychew, the named battlefield locality.

19. Disembarkation at Haifa

    1936-05-01 · Haifa, British Mandate of Palestine

    The imperial party disembarked at Haifa while traveling from French Somaliland to their Jerusalem residence. The text places the disembarkation immediately after the party left French Somaliland on 4 May 1936, but this card retains month precision.

20. Exile transit in Jerusalem

    1936-05-01 · Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine

    Selassie reached Jerusalem with his retinue and prepared to present Ethiopia's case to the League of Nations. The preceding source text identifies the location as Jerusalem; the article caption dates his arrival to May 1936.

21. Departure into exile

    1936-05-02 · French Somaliland, now Djibouti

    Selassie departed Ethiopia with his family after appointing Ras Imru Haile Selassie prince regent. Coordinates represent Djibouti City as a defensible representative point for the then French Somaliland destination.

22. League of Nations address

    1936-05-12 · Palace of Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

    

    Selassie addressed the League of Nations assembly to appeal Italy's invasion of Ethiopia. Coordinates represent the League of Nations' Geneva headquarters, the Palace of Nations.

23. Return across the Sudan-Ethiopia border

    1941-01-18 · Um Iddla, Ethiopia-Sudan border area

    During the East African Campaign, Selassie crossed from Sudan into Ethiopia to join the liberation effort. Coordinates are an approximate representative point for the named border-village area.

24. Restoration in Addis Ababa

    1941-05-05 · Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    

    Selassie entered Addis Ababa and publicly addressed Ethiopians after the campaign that ended Italian rule.

25. State visit to Washington

    1954-05-26 · White House, Washington, D.C., United States

    Selassie attended a state dinner at the White House during a visit to the United States. The source dates the White House state dinner to 26 May 1954.

26. Visit to the Soviet Union

    1959-06-01 · Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

    Selassie visited the Soviet Union and was photographed with Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow. The source documents a Soviet visit from 20 June to 12 July 1959; coordinates represent Moscow, where he was photographed with Nikita Khrushchev.

27. State visit to Brazil

    1960-12-13 · Brazil

    Selassie was on a state visit to Brazil when an attempted coup began in Ethiopia. The source identifies Brazil but not the specific city; coordinates represent Brasília.

28. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa session

    1961-02-19 · Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Selassie received Tunisia's ambassador and delegation leader at the third session of the UN Economic Commission for Africa. Coordinates represent Africa Hall, the United Nations complex in Addis Ababa.

29. Arrival in Washington during state visit

    1963-10-01 · Union Station, Washington, D.C., United States

    

    Selassie was formally welcomed by President John F. Kennedy at Union Station during his United States visit.

30. Address to the United Nations General Assembly

    1963-10-04 · United Nations Headquarters, New York City, New York, United States

    

    Selassie addressed the eighteenth session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The United Nations record identifies Selassie as speaker in the General Assembly general debate on 4 October 1963; coordinates represent UN Headquarters.

31. Kennedy state funeral

    1963-11-25 · Washington, D.C., United States

    

    Selassie traveled to Washington to attend President John F. Kennedy's state funeral. Coordinates represent central Washington, D.C.; the source does not specify the individual funeral venue.

32. Visit to Jamaica

    1966-04-21 · Palisadoes Airport, Kingston, Jamaica

    Selassie's arrival at Palisadoes Airport became a major event in the history of the Rastafari movement.

33. Four-day state visit to Jordan

    1966-10-01 · Amman, Jordan

    Selassie made a four-day visit to Jordan hosted by King Hussein. The source identifies Jordan and month but does not specify the arrival date or a city; coordinates represent Amman.

34. Visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

    1966-10-01 · Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Jordanian-administered East Jerusalem

    During his Jordan trip, Selassie visited Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The source dates this visit only to October 1966.

35. Expo 67 opening

    1967-01-01 · Expo 67 site, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

    Selassie visited Montréal to open Ethiopia's pavilion at the Expo 67 world's fair. The source supplies only the year; coordinates represent the former Expo 67 site.

36. Visit with President Johnson

    1967-01-01 · Washington, D.C., United States

    Selassie visited Washington and met President Lyndon B. Johnson. The source provides year-level precision; coordinates represent the White House.

37. Meeting in Milan

    1970-01-01 · Milan, Italy

    During an Italian visit as guest of President Giuseppe Saragat, Selassie met Giordano Dell'Amore in Milan. The source supplies only the year.

38. Meeting with Pope Paul VI

    1970-01-01 · Vatican City

    Selassie met Pope Paul VI in Vatican City to discuss matters concerning their countries and history. The source supplies only the year.

39. Arrival in Guangzhou

    1971-10-05 · Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

    Selassie began a state visit to China, arriving first in Guangzhou. Kwangchow is the contemporary romanization of Guangzhou.

40. Arrival in Beijing

    1971-10-06 · Beijing, China

    Selassie arrived in Beijing during his state visit to China and was later received by Mao Zedong. Peking is the contemporary romanization of Beijing.

41. United Nations Security Council meeting

    1972-01-01 · Africa Hall, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Selassie attended a United Nations Security Council meeting held in Addis Ababa. The source is a contemporaneous photo caption and provides year-level precision.

42. House arrest at the Grand Palace

    1974-09-01 · Grand Palace, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Selassie was transferred from the 4th Army Division to the Grand Palace, where he spent his final months under house arrest. The move occurred after his 12 September 1974 deposition; the source does not give an exact transfer day.

43. Initial imprisonment after deposition

    1974-09-01 · 4th Army Division, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    After the Derg deposed him, Selassie was briefly imprisoned at the 4th Army Division in Addis Ababa. The source dates his deposition to 12 September 1974 but does not specify the day of transfer to the 4th Army Division; coordinates are approximate.

44. Death at Jubilee Palace

    1975-08-27 · Jubilee Palace, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Selassie was murdered while detained at Jubilee Palace in Addis Ababa.