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Great Britain annexes Natal

The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May...

The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its provinces. It is now the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.

It was originally only about half the size of the present province, with the north-eastern boundaries being formed by the Tugela and Buffalo rivers beyond which lay the independent Kingdom of Zululand (kwaZulu in the Zulu language).

Fierce conflict with the Zulu population led to the evacuation of Durban, and eventually, the Boers accepted British annexation in 1844 under military pressure.

Historical Significance

The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa.

Events Before

  1. New York Illustrated News, the first illustrated weekly magazine in the US, publishes its first issue in New York

    The Illustrated London News, founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine.

  2. 10th US President John Tyler's daughter Elizabeth marries in the White House

    10th US President John Tyler's daughter Elizabeth marries in the White House

  3. Battle of Debre Tabor: Ras Ali Alula, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia, defeats warlord Wube Haile Maryam of Semien

    Battle of Debre Tabor: Ras Ali Alula, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia, defeats warlord Wube Haile Maryam of Semien

  4. Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Nabucco" premieres in Milan

    Nabucco is an Italian-language opera in four acts composed in 1841 by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera.

  5. Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi (34) weds Ana Maria de Jesus Ribeiro (20) in Montevideo

    Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi (34) weds Ana Maria de Jesus Ribeiro (20) in Montevideo

Events After

  1. First issue of "Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant" newspaper is published; issued three times per week

    First issue of "Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant" newspaper is published; issued three times per week

  2. Samuel Morse taps out "What hath God wrought" in the world's first telegraph message

    Samuel Morse taps out "What hath God wrought" in the world's first telegraph message

  3. Canada defeats the USA by 23 runs in the first international cricket match at the grounds of St. George's Cricket Club i

    Canada defeats the USA by 23 runs in the first international cricket match at the grounds of St. George's Cricket Club in Manhattan, New York

  4. New York Politician Boss Tweed (21) weds Mary Jane C. Skaden

    New York Politician Boss Tweed (21) weds Mary Jane C. Skaden

  5. University of Notre Dame receives its charter in Indiana

    The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; NOH-tər-DAYM; ND) is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States.

More from the 1840s

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

Explorer and medical missionary David Livingstone (31) weds Mary Moffat

David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish doctor, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa.

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

New York Illustrated News, the first illustrated weekly magazine in the US, publishes its first issue in New York

The Illustrated London News, founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 4, 1843?
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its provinces. It is now the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
Why is Great Britain annexes Natal significant?
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa.

Explore More

May 4 in HistoryYear 1843