In context
- When
- Monday, January 12 197056 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 20th century · 1970s
- Recorded from
- Wikipedia “On this day” feed
At a glance
Dates: 1967-05-30 – 1970-01-15.
Type: historical unrecognized state and state with limited recognition.
What happened
History Map of Africa ( Abraham Ortelius , 1584) Map of West Africa ( Rigobert Bonne (Royal Cartographer of France) 1770) Map of West Africa (1839); Biafra is shown in the region of " Lower Guinea " The Kingdom of Biafara, map by John Speed (1676) This paragraph relies excessively on references to primary sources . Please improve this paragraph by adding secondary or tertiary sources . Find sources:   "Biafra"  –  news   · newspapers   · books   · scholar  
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 to 1970. Its territory consisted of the former Eastern Region of Nigeria, predominantly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group, but with sizable chunks of the region belonging to the Ijaw, Efik, Ibibio and other tribes. Biafra was established on 30 May 1967 by Igbo military officer and Eastern Region governor Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu under his presidency,
January 12 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
Also in 1970
- May 11Lubbock, TexasLubbock, Texas, was struck by a tornado that left 26 people dead.
- September 9Popular Front for the Liberation of PalestineA British airliner is hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and flown to Dawson's Field in Jordan.
- September 17AmmanThe Jordanian army entered Amman as part of operations to oust Palestinian fedayeen from the country in events later known as Black Septe…
- September 51970 Italian Grand PrixDuring the practice session of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza Circuit, Jochen Rindt was killed and subsequently became motor racing's on…
- September 5Vietnam WarVietnam War: Operation Jefferson Glenn begins: The United States 101st Airborne Division and the South Vietnamese 1st Infantry Division i…
- November 17Vietnam WarVietnam War: Lieutenant William Calley goes on trial for the My Lai Massacre.
- November 17Luna programmeLuna programme: The Soviet Union lands Lunokhod 1 on Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains) on the Moon. This is the first roving remote-controlled…
- November 5Military Assistance Command, VietnamThe Military Assistance Command, Vietnam reports the lowest weekly American soldier death toll in five years (24).
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“Biafra”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/biafra-1970-january-12, accessed October 25, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about this entry
When did Biafra happen?
January 12 1970 — 56 years ago, on a Monday.
Where does this text come from?
Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.
How do I cite this page?
Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.
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