1971 — Idi Amin Seizes Power

On January 25, 1971, army commander Idi Amin seized power in Uganda while President Milton Obote was abroad in Singapore. Many Ugandans first celebrated the takeover, hoping for a change from the rule they knew. But Amin's promises of elections proved a lie, and the cheering faded into fear.

His eight-year rule became one of Africa's most brutal dictatorships. An estimated 300,000 to 500,000 Ugandans were killed by his security forces, and tens of thousands of Asians were expelled in 1972, wrecking the economy. Tanzania finally drove him out in 1979, ending a reign that had begun, deceptively, to applause.