24 moments
Birth in Bobangui
· Bobangui, Lobaye, Central African Republic
Bokassa was born in the Lobaye village of Bobangui, then in French Equatorial Africa.
Operation Dragoon landing
· Provence, France
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Serving with the Free French forces, Bokassa participated in the Allied landing in Provence during Operation Dragoon. Coordinates are a representative point for the Provence landing area; the source does not identify a specific beach.
Deployment to French Indochina
· French Indochina, representative point near Saigon (present-day Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam
Bokassa left for French Indochina as transmissions expert for the Saigon-Cholon battalion during the First Indochina War. The source establishes departure to French Indochina but not an exact arrival site; coordinates represent the Saigon-Cholon unit reference.
Military technical posting
· Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
After his French service in Fréjus, Bokassa was posted as a military technical assistant in Brazzaville.
Return posting to Bangui
· Bangui, Central African Republic
After roughly twenty years away from his homeland, Bokassa was posted back to Bangui.
Bastille Day delegation
· Paris, France
President David Dacko sent Bokassa to Paris as part of the Central African delegation for Bastille Day celebrations.
Coup begins at Camp de Roux
· Camp de Roux, Bangui, Central African Republic
On the night of the Saint-Sylvestre coup, Bokassa and his supporters departed Camp de Roux to seize the capital. Coordinates are a defensible representative point for the former Camp de Roux area.
Seizure of Bangui
· Bangui, Central African Republic
Bokassa and his forces entered Bangui during the coup that brought him to power.
Meeting with Tombalbaye
· Fort Archambault (present-day Sarh), Chad
Bokassa met Chadian President François Tombalbaye at Fort Archambault; the two leaders agreed to assist one another if either faced losing power. Coordinates represent former Fort Archambault/Sarh.
Security mission to Paris
· Paris, France
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file During tensions with Alexandre Banza, Bokassa made a special trip to Paris to seek protection from French troops.
Confrontation with Banza at Berengo
· Berengo, Lobaye, Central African Republic
After Banza's attempted coup was exposed, he was brought to Bokassa's house at Berengo, where Bokassa assaulted him before a military trial followed. The documented 1969 house site is represented by coordinates for Berengo; the later palace complex was developed afterward.
Official visit to Bucharest
· Bucharest, Romania
Wikimedia Commons · Attribution only license · file Bokassa arrived in Bucharest for a five-day official visit at the invitation of Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu. The article establishes arrival during July 1970 but its text does not state the calendar date of the Saturday arrival.
Soviet Union state visit
· Soviet Union, representative point in Moscow
Bokassa spent eleven days in the Soviet Union immediately before beginning an official visit to Romania. The source establishes an eleven-day stay in the Soviet Union but does not identify its itinerary; Moscow is a representative coordinate.
Visit to Milan Trade Fair
· Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy
Bokassa visited the Milan Trade Fair and spoke with exhibitors in the construction-machinery section. Coordinates represent the historic Milan fair area.
Host to Ceaușescu in Bangui
· Presidential Palace, Bangui, Central African Republic
Wikimedia Commons · Attribution only license · file Bokassa held official talks with Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu at the presidential palace in Bangui during Ceaușescu's state visit. The newspaper identifies the event as Friday morning; the issue date establishes this as 17 March 1972. Coordinates represent central Bangui because the palace's precise historic footprint is uncertain.
Arrival in Peking
· Beijing, China
Bokassa arrived in Peking for an official visit to China, accompanied by his wife and senior Central African officials. Peking is the contemporary English rendering of Beijing.
Great Hall banquet
· Great Hall of the People, Beijing, China
Before leaving Peking, Bokassa gave a banquet at the Great Hall of the People during his official China visit. Peking is the contemporary English rendering of Beijing.
Departure from Kwangchow
· Guangzhou, China
Bokassa and his accompanying delegation left Kwangchow for home at the end of the China visit. Kwangchow is the contemporary English rendering of Guangzhou.
Imperial coronation
· Bangui Stadium, Bangui, Central African Republic
Bokassa was crowned Emperor Bokassa I in a ceremony at Bangui Stadium, a defining public event of the Central African Empire.
Exile begins in Abidjan
· Abidjan, Ivory Coast
After his overthrow, Bokassa fled to Ivory Coast and spent four years living in Abidjan. The source establishes the Abidjan exile but not the exact arrival day; September 1979 is supported by the overthrow chronology.
Meeting with Gaddafi in Tripoli
· Tripoli, Libya
Bokassa secretly travelled with an entourage to Tripoli to meet Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi shortly before his overthrow.
Return and arrest at Bangui airport
· Bangui M'Poko International Airport, Bangui, Central African Republic
Bokassa returned from exile to Bangui and was arrested immediately after stepping off his plane.
Trial at the Palace of Justice
· Palace of Justice, Bangui, Central African Republic
Bokassa's in-person trial on charges including treason and murder began at the Palace of Justice in Bangui. Coordinates represent central Bangui; the historic Palace of Justice building's exact geolocation is uncertain.
Death at home in Bangui
· Bangui, Central African Republic
After release and a final private life in the Central African Republic, Bokassa died of a heart attack at his Bangui home. The exact address of his home is not identified in the source; coordinates represent Bangui.