Kwame Nkrumah - First President of Ghana, Birthday and Childhood
Kwame Nkrumah's Personal Details
Kwame Nkrumah was the first president and first Prime Minister of Ghana after nation’s independence from British rule
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | September 21, 1909 |
| Died on | April 27, 1972 |
| Nationality | Ghanaian, Romanian |
| Famous | London School Of Economics (LSE), University Of Pennsylvania, Leaders, Political Leaders, First President of Ghana, Romanian Men |
| Spouses | Fathia Nkrumah |
| Known as | Francis Nwia Kofi Ngonloma |
| Childrens | Gamal Nkrumah, Samia Nkrumah |
| Universities |
|
| Notable Alumnis |
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| Founder / Co-Founder |
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| Discoveries / Inventions |
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| Birth Place | Nkroful |
| Born Country | Ghana |
| Political Ideology | Convention People's Party |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Kofi Ngonloma |
| Mother | Elizabeth Nyanibah |
| Sun Sign | Virgo |
| Born in | Nkroful |
| Famous as | First President of Ghana |
| Died at Age | 62 |
Kwame Nkrumah's photo
Who is Kwame Nkrumah?
Kwame Nkrumah and the members of his party, The Convention People’s Party, worked towards starting a peaceful uprising towards British rule by initiating civil disobedience movement, strikes, protests, etc. Although he was put behind the bars but his demands were ultimately met and he was asked to form the government. Under his supervision he made sure that the constitution of Ghana kept reforming and changing, his efforts led him to become the Prime Minister of Ghana and later on the President. As the sole leader of the country, he made sure that along with political reforms, Ghana also went through some major economical and social changes. His leadership changed the future of Ghana but it also went through some tough times under him as he gradually changed into an authoritarian and started imposing his whims and fancies on the people of Ghana. He was overthrown in a military coup, which led him to live in exile in Guinea until his death. Despite a tragic end to his influence in Ghana, his contribution in making the foundation of the country is incomparable and he was honored with the Lenin Peace Prize for that.
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Childhood & Early Life
Kwame Nkrumah was born in Nkroful, Gold Coast, to Kofi Ngonloma and Elizabeth Nyanibah of the Anona Clan. He studied in Achimota School in Accra and aspired to become a teacher.
He worked as a school teacher from 1930-1935 and taught at various schools in Gold Coast, which also included a Roman Catholic school. All this while, he was saving up cash to be able to study in America in near future.
In 1935, he finally sailed from Gold Coast to London and applied for an America visa from there and in the same year, he got admission in the Lincoln University of Pennsylvania.
He finished his Bachelor of Arts Degree, Sacred Theology degree and then earned his Master of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1942. He went on to get another Masters degree in philosophy the following year.
While he was studying at the Lincoln University, he was elected as the president of the African Students Organization of the United States and Canada. He was into theatre and writing and one of his essays was published in ‘The Lincolnian’.
Career
In 1945, Nkrumah travelled back to London and got involved in organizing the Fifth Pan-African Congress in Manchester and then worked towards decolonization of Africa by founding the West African Nation Secretariat.
He got an invitation to become the General Secretary of the United Gold Coast Convention in 1947, an opportunity that he accepted and sailed back for Gold Coast. It took him a few months to make the journey.
In 1948, Nkrumah was arrested along with other party members, after the police suspected party’s involvement in the recent riots that spurred up in Accra, Kumasi, etc. after police fired on a group of protesting ex-serviceman.
After he was released, he started working vehemently towards the political and social betterment of Gold Coast. He had Cocoa farmers, trade unions and women on his side. In 1949 he formed a new party, The Convention People’s Party.
The newly formed party demanded for universal franchise, a separate house of chiefs and self-governing status under the Statute of Westminster for Ghana and when the demands were rejected, Nkrumah organized civil disobedience movement, boycotts and strikes.
The revolt against the British governance led to immediate arrest of Nkrumah in 1950, along with other members of The Convention People’s Party in 1950. He was sentenced to imprisonment for three years.
In 1951, owing to international pressures and internal disobedience, the British decided to leave Gold Coast and organized their first general elections. Although Nkrumah was in jail, his party won the highest number of seats in the Legislative Assembly.
Nkrumah was released from the jail in 1951 and was asked to form a government. In the following year, another amendment in the constitution took place as it was decided that Gold Coast needed a Prime Minister.
Nkrumah won the election for the position of Prime Minister, hands down, in 1952 and the first thing that he requested as Prime Minister of Ghana was independence within the British Commonwealth. The request was approved.
In 1957, Ghana was declared free by their Prime Minister Nkrumah as it became a Commonwealth realm. With years of hard work and political maneuvering, he declared his plans to make Ghana a republic.
The presidential election and plebiscite on the constitution were held in 1960 and the constitution was changed, which led to Nkrumah’s election as the President of Ghana. Ghanaian sovereignty was surrendered to a Union of African States.
As soon as Nkrumah became the President of Ghana, he founded the Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute to train Ghanaian civil servants and endorse Pan-Africanism. He made it compulsory for all students to take a two-week ideological orientation before joining college.
The downfall of Nkrumah began when he started being authoritarian by declaring strikes as illegal, opposing industrial democracy, giving way to Preventive Detention Act, making CPP the only legal party and declaring himself president for life.
He went to North Vietnam and China for a visit in 1966 and in his absence, his government was overthrown in a military coup. He never returned back to Ghana, scared that he would be abducted and assassinated.
Major Works
Despite the later authoritarian subjection on Ghana, Nkrumah was the major reason how Ghana could achieve its decolonization and be included in the Commonwealth realm. Nkrumah in his role as a Prime Minister brought in amendments in the Ghanaian constitution.
Under his leadership, forestry, fishing, and cattle-breeding expanded, production of cocoa increased tremendously, and modest deposits of bauxite and gold were exploited more efficiently. The construction of a dam on Volta River gave Ghana its irrigation and hydroelectric revolution.
Personal Life & Legacy
After Nkrumah’s government was overthrown, he lived in exile in Guinea. He was made the honorary co-president of the country. He lived a simple life but he was always under the fear that the western agencies were after him.
In 1971, he went to Bucharest, Romania, for a medical treatment and died in the following year of prostate cancer. He was buried in a tomb in Nkroful, Ghana, but his remains were preserved in Accra.
Trivia
Nkrumah was voted Africa's man of the millennium by listeners to the BBC World Service.
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Kwame Nkrumah biography timelines
- // 21st Sep 1909Kwame Nkrumah was born in Nkroful, Gold Coast, to Kofi Ngonloma and Elizabeth Nyanibah of the Anona Clan. He studied in Achimota School in Accra and aspired to become a teacher.
- // 1935In 1935, he finally sailed from Gold Coast to London and applied for an America visa from there and in the same year, he got admission in the Lincoln University of Pennsylvania.
- // 1942He finished his Bachelor of Arts Degree, Sacred Theology degree and then earned his Master of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1942. He went on to get another Masters degree in philosophy the following year.
- // 1945In 1945, Nkrumah travelled back to London and got involved in organizing the Fifth Pan-African Congress in Manchester and then worked towards decolonization of Africa by founding the West African Nation Secretariat.
- // 1947He got an invitation to become the General Secretary of the United Gold Coast Convention in 1947, an opportunity that he accepted and sailed back for Gold Coast. It took him a few months to make the journey.
- // 1948In 1948, Nkrumah was arrested along with other party members, after the police suspected party’s involvement in the recent riots that spurred up in Accra, Kumasi, etc. after police fired on a group of protesting ex-serviceman.
- // 1949After he was released, he started working vehemently towards the political and social betterment of Gold Coast. He had Cocoa farmers, trade unions and women on his side. In 1949 he formed a new party, The Convention People’s Party.
- // 1950The revolt against the British governance led to immediate arrest of Nkrumah in 1950, along with other members of The Convention People’s Party in 1950. He was sentenced to imprisonment for three years.
- // 1951In 1951, owing to international pressures and internal disobedience, the British decided to leave Gold Coast and organized their first general elections. Although Nkrumah was in jail, his party won the highest number of seats in the Legislative Assembly.
- // 1951 To 1952Nkrumah was released from the jail in 1951 and was asked to form a government. In the following year, another amendment in the constitution took place as it was decided that Gold Coast needed a Prime Minister.
- // 1952Nkrumah won the election for the position of Prime Minister, hands down, in 1952 and the first thing that he requested as Prime Minister of Ghana was independence within the British Commonwealth. The request was approved.
- // 1957In 1957, Ghana was declared free by their Prime Minister Nkrumah as it became a Commonwealth realm. With years of hard work and political maneuvering, he declared his plans to make Ghana a republic.
- // 1960The presidential election and plebiscite on the constitution were held in 1960 and the constitution was changed, which led to Nkrumah’s election as the President of Ghana. Ghanaian sovereignty was surrendered to a Union of African States.
- // 1966He went to North Vietnam and China for a visit in 1966 and in his absence, his government was overthrown in a military coup. He never returned back to Ghana, scared that he would be abducted and assassinated.
- // 17th Apr 1972In 1971, he went to Bucharest, Romania, for a medical treatment and died in the following year of prostate cancer. He was buried in a tomb in Nkroful, Ghana, but his remains were preserved in Accra.
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Kwame Nkrumah's FAQ
What is Kwame Nkrumah birthday?
Kwame Nkrumah was born at 1909-09-21
When was Kwame Nkrumah died?
Kwame Nkrumah was died at 1972-04-27
Where was Kwame Nkrumah died?
Kwame Nkrumah was died in Bucharest
Which age was Kwame Nkrumah died?
Kwame Nkrumah was died at age 62
Where is Kwame Nkrumah's birth place?
Kwame Nkrumah was born in Nkroful
What is Kwame Nkrumah nationalities?
Kwame Nkrumah's nationalities is Ghanaian, Romanian
Who is Kwame Nkrumah spouses?
Kwame Nkrumah's spouses is Fathia Nkrumah
Who is Kwame Nkrumah childrens?
Kwame Nkrumah's childrens is Gamal Nkrumah, Samia Nkrumah
What was Kwame Nkrumah universities?
Kwame Nkrumah studied at London School Of Economics,University Of Pennsylvania, Achimota School, London School of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Lincoln University
What was Kwame Nkrumah notable alumnis?
Kwame Nkrumah's notable alumnis is London School Of Economics, University Of Pennsylvania
Which company or organization was founded by Kwame Nkrumah?
Kwame Nkrumah was the founder/co-founder of Organization of African Unity
What is Kwame Nkrumah's inventions/discoveries?
West African National Secretariat was invented (or discovered) by Kwame Nkrumah
What is Kwame Nkrumah's political ideology?
Kwame Nkrumah's political ideology is Convention People's Party
What is Kwame Nkrumah's religion?
Kwame Nkrumah's religion is Roman Catholicism
Who is Kwame Nkrumah's father?
Kwame Nkrumah's father is Kofi Ngonloma
Who is Kwame Nkrumah's mother?
Kwame Nkrumah's mother is Elizabeth Nyanibah
What is Kwame Nkrumah's sun sign?
Kwame Nkrumah is Virgo
How famous is Kwame Nkrumah?
Kwame Nkrumah is famouse as First President of Ghana