1951 in South Africa
Encyclopedia
March
- 30 March - The Group Areas ActGroup Areas ActThe Group Areas Act of 1950 was an act of parliament created under the apartheid government of South Africa on 27th April 1950. The act assigned racial groups to different residential and business sections in urban areas in a system of urban apartheid...
which was passed in 19501950 in South Africa-May:* 1 May - 18 blacks are killed by police and more than 30 are injured on the Witwatersrand in a massive stay-away from work called for by the African National Congress* 1 May - Springbok Radio, the SABC's first commercial service, is inaugurated-June:...
becomes law
May
- 14 May - The cabinet voted for the removal of the Coloured people from the voters roll
- 24 May - The first part of the Afrikaans Dictionary Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (WAT)Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (WAT)Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal , generally known as the WAT, is the largest descriptive Afrikaans dictionary. As a comprehensive descriptive dictionary, it strives to reflect the Afrikaans language in its entirety. Not only standard Afrikaans is portrayed, but also varieties like Kaaps and...
is published, a project which was begun in 1926 by Prof. J J Smith of Stellenbosch University
July
- 29 July - BlacksBlack peopleThe term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
, Coloureds and IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
ns meet for the first time to discuss a plan of action against race discrimination laws
December
- 8 December - The South Africa (Springboks)South Africa national rugby union teamThe South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
beat IrelandIreland national rugby union teamThe Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
17-5 in IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Unknown date
- Max TheilerMax TheilerMax Theiler was a South African/American virologist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for developing a vaccine against yellow fever.-Career development:...
, a virologistVirologyVirology is the study of viruses and virus-like agents: their structure, classification and evolution, their ways to infect and exploit cells for virus reproduction, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their use in research and therapy...
is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineNobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineThe Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
for developing a vaccine for yellow feverYellow feverYellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
thereby becoming the first South African to receive a Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
Deaths
- 6 April - Robert BroomRobert BroomProfessor Robert Broom was a Scottish South African doctor and paleontologist. He qualified as a medical practitioner in 1895 and received his DSc in 1905 from the University of Glasgow...
, an archaeologist who discovered Mrs Ples in 19471947 in South Africa-March:* 9 March - The Three Doctors’ Pact is signed by Dr AB Xuma , Dr Gagathura Mohambry Naicker and Dr Yusuf Dadoo -May:* 4 May - The Natal Indian Organisation is formed...
, dies - 23 May - Sefako Mapogo MakgathoSefako Mapogo MakgathoSefako Mapogo Makgatho was a South African politician. He was the second president of the African National Congress.Makgatho Mandela, the second son of Nelson Mandela, was named for Sefako Makgatho....
, the 2nd African National CongressAfrican National CongressThe African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
' president, dies in PretoriaPretoriaPretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
at the age of 90 - 14 October - Herman Charles BosmanHerman Charles BosmanHerman Charles Bosman is the South African writer widely regarded as South Africa's greatest short story writer. He studied the works of Edgar Alan Poe and Mark Twain, and developed a style emphasizing the use of irony...
, writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, dies in Edenvale, GautengEdenvale, GautengEdenvale is a town on the East Rand in Gauteng, South Africa. It started out in 1903, after the Anglo Boer War as a small settlement named Rietfontein which sprung up around the Rietfontein Gold Mine. It was made a municipality in 1942. It was initially populated by Cornish mineworkers. Modern... - 28 November - Clements KadalieClements KadalieClements Kadalie was South Africa's first black national trade union leader.- Life :Clements Kadalie was born in April 1896 in Nkhata Bay District at Chifira village near the Bandawe mission station in Nyasaland, presently Malawi. He was the second born son of Mr. and Mrs. Musa Kadalie Muwamba. He...
, trade unionist, dies in East London at the age of 55