1975 – Mozambique Becomes Independent from Portugal

Though official independence is celebrated on June 25, Mozambique’s final anti-colonial offensives and internal power consolidation accelerated dramatically by June 4, 1975, with the departure of key Portuguese administrators. The revolutionary FRELIMO movement, led by Samora Machel, had been building toward this moment through decades of armed resistance. By early June, FRELIMO forces had seized key infrastructure and begun establishing African-led governance. June 4 represents the end of effective Portuguese control. This shift was part of a broader continental wave of liberation, and Mozambique’s struggle inspired other movements across Southern Africa, particularly in Angola, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. The date reflects the near-final unraveling of European colonialism in Lusophone Africa.