1 August 1960
Years Day Month Day Holiday
2022 Mon 1 Aug Independence Day Public Holiday
2023 Tue 1 Aug Independence Day Public Holiday
2024 Thu 1 Aug Independence Day Public Holiday
2025 Fri 1 Aug Independence Day Public Holiday
The area of Benin in modern times first came to the attention of Europeans as a source of slaves when the beaches of this region were known as 'slave beaches'.
Local fighters made agreements with the Portuguese to provide slaves with captured prisoners. One of the most important local kingdoms of the time was Dohomi, famous for its military discipline, which became the dominant power in the region.
do you know?
Dahohomi means 'on Dean's stomach'. Dean was the name of a rival king. Defeated by Dahomi, they built their royal compound over his tomb.
After the abolition of the slave trade, Dahumi's control weakened, leading to the French occupation of the region in the late 19th century. In 1904, the French colony of Dahomey was annexed to French West Africa.
With the founding of the Fourth French Republic in 1946, Dohme became France's overseas parliament with representation in the French National Assembly.
On December 4, 1958, it became the Republic of Duhome (Republic of Duhome), an independent republic in the French community.
On July 11, 1960, France agreed to complete independence from Dohme. Dahumi gained full independence on August 1, 1960, with Hubert Maga becoming Dahumi's first president.
In 1975, the country changed its name to Benin, after the Byte of Benin, a large Gulf of Guyana.
