Robert Mugabe 1924-2019 1924: Robert Mugabe born in then British-ruled Southern Rhodesia 1940s-50s: Educated at Catholic schools, later attends South Africa’s University of Fort Hare. Teaches in Zambia and Ghana, where he is influenced by African independence movement leaders 1960s: Campaigns for Zimbabwe’s independence and is imprisoned in 1964 1974: Released from jail, escapes to Mozambique where Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) guerrilla fighters elect him to lead struggle against white minority rule in Rhodesia 1979: Successful negotiations at London’s Lancaster House pave way for new, independent Republic of Zimbabwe 1980: Mugabe scores overwhelming victory in republic’s first election 1982-84: Mugabe deploys North Korean- trained troops to crush insurgency in Matabeleland led by liberation war rival Joshua Nkomo, killing thousands 1987: Mugabe becomes president with sweeping executive powers and signs unity pact with Nkomo 1990: ZANU-PF and Mugabe win parliamentary and presidential elections 1998: Economic crisis marked by high interest rates and inflation Early 2000: Thousands of so-called “war veterans”, backed by government, seize most of country’s 5,000 white-owned farms, often violently. Mugabe says land grabs correct colonial-era injustices 2001: U.S. implements financial freeze on Mugabe’s government in response to land seizures, beginning wave of Western sanctions 2002: Mugabe wins disputed presidential vote, condemned as flawed. British Commonwealth suspends Zimbabwe 2008: Mugabe loses presidential vote but wins run-off after opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai of Movement for Democratic Change, pulls out citing violence against supporters by security forces. Power-sharing agreement signed 2008: Hyperinflation reaches 500 billion percent – economic implosion forces millions of people to leave country 2010: Media reports say Mugabe is seriously ill with cancer 2013: Mugabe wins another disputed presidential vote and ends power-sharing agreement 2016: Protesters at government’s economic mismanagement stage biggest show of defiance against Mugabe in a decade 2017: Amid concerns that he is grooming wife Grace as successor, Mugabe is forced to resign following army coup. He is replaced by long- time ally Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa 2018: Mugabe, seen in public for first time since leaving power, berates former ZANU-PF allies and backs opposition leader Nelson Chamisa on eve of election Sep 6, 2019: Mugabe dies in Singapore hospital, aged 95 Sources: Reuters, BBC Pictures: Newscom, Associated Press, Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS