You guys, it is the INDEPENDENCE DAY OF BENIN! I am so excited! Benin is such an underrated country. I even traveled there, and it is so cool! Benin gained independence from France on August 1st, 1960! That makes TODAY it's (mental math) 60th anniversary of independence! I was researching some more about it, and I found some pretty cool info. "With the abolition of the slave trade, the control of the Dahomey was weakened, allowing the French to take over the region at the end of the nineteenth century. In 1904, the colony of French Dahomey was incorporated within French West Africa.

In 1946 with the establishment of the Fourth French Republic, Dahomey became an overseas territory of France with its own parliament and representation in the French national assembly.

On 4 December 1958, it became the Republic of Dahomey (République du Dahomey), a self-governing autonomous republic within the French Community.

On 11 July 1960 France agreed to Dahomey becoming fully independent. Dahomey gained its full independence on 1 August 1960, with Hubert Maga becoming Dahomey's first president.

In 1975, the country changed its name to Benin, after the Bight of Benin, a large bay in the Gulf of Guinea." Find the whole article here. 


I actually went to Porto-Novo! 

Happy Birthday, Benin!