1948 – Apartheid Laws Officially Enacted in South Africa

On June 9, 1948, South Africa\’s newly elected National Party government officially implemented apartheid, a system of institutionalized racial segregation and white supremacy. Under apartheid, laws were passed to separate races in every aspect of life—housing, education, employment, and public services. The Population Registration Act and Group Areas Act became cornerstones of racial classification and forced removals. Black South Africans, who were the majority, were denied political representation and basic rights. Resistance grew through organizations like the African National Congress (ANC), culminating decades later in the dismantling of apartheid in the early 1990s. The June 9 date symbolizes the beginning of a long, painful era that had global repercussions and drew condemnation and sanctions from the international community.