History of Ghana in Timeline

Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a West African nation bordering the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo. Covering 239,567 km2, Ghana features diverse ecosystems including coastal savannas and rainforests. With a population exceeding 35 million, it is the 13th most populous African country and the 2nd most populous in West Africa. Accra is its capital and largest city.

1900: War of the Golden Stool

In 1900, the Kingdom of Ashanti lost the War of the Golden Stool to the British.

1907: Rev. W. T. Balmer Promotes Akan Origin Theory

In 1907, Rev. W. T. Balmer began promoting the theory that the Akan peoples originated from the medieval Empire of Ghana through his teachings.

1911: Publication of Ethiopia Unbound

In 1911, J.E. Casely Hayford's novel, Ethiopia Unbound, was published.

1911: Rev. W. T. Balmer Continues Promoting Akan Origin Theory

In 1911, Rev. W. T. Balmer continued to promote the theory that the Akan peoples originated from the medieval Empire of Ghana through his teachings.

1946: Gold Coast Legislative Election

The Gold Coast legislative election took place in 1946.

1947: United Gold Coast Convention Calls for Self-Government

In 1947, the newly formed United Gold Coast Convention, led by "The Big Six", called for "self-government within the shortest possible time" following the 1946 Gold Coast legislative election.

1949: Convention People's Party Formed

In 1949, Kwame Nkrumah formed the Convention People's Party with the motto "self-government now".

1951: Nkrumah Elected to Parliament

In the Gold Coast's 1951 general election, Kwame Nkrumah was elected to Parliament and was released from prison.

1954: Commonwealth Games

In 1954, Ghana competed in the Commonwealth Games.

1955: Voices of Ghana

In 1955, the Ghanaian national literature radio programme Voices of Ghana was created.

March 1957: Ghana Becomes First Sub-Saharan African Colony to Achieve Sovereignty

On 6 March 1957, Ghana became the first colony in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sovereignty. Under President Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana became influential in decolonisation efforts and the Pan-African movement.

March 1957: Ghana Independence Act

On 6 March 1957, the Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern Territories, and British Togoland were unified as one single independent dominion within the British Commonwealth under the name Ghana under the Ghana Independence Act 1957.

1957: Kwame Nkrumah Led Ghana

In 1957, Kwame Nkrumah led Ghana as the country's first prime minister and president.

1957: Ghana Armed Forces Consisted of its headquarters

In 1957, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) consisted of its headquarters, support services, three battalions of infantry and a reconnaissance squadron with armoured vehicles.

1957: Voices of Ghana

In 1957, the Ghanaian national literature radio programme Voices of Ghana ended.

July 1960: Ghana Declared a Republic

On 1 July 1960, following the Ghanaian constitutional referendum and Ghanaian presidential election, Nkrumah declared Ghana a republic and assumed the presidency.

1961: 4th and 5th Battalions Established

In 1961, the 4th and 5th Battalions of the Ghana Armed Forces were established as part of President Nkrumah's plan to expand the military.

1963: Parachute airborne unit Raised

In 1963, a parachute airborne unit was raised which would later become the 6th Battalion in 1964.

1964: Ghana Becomes a One-Party State

In 1964, a constitutional amendment made Ghana a one-party state, with Nkrumah as president for life of both the nation and its party.

1964: 6th Battalion Established

In 1964, the 6th Battalion of the Ghana Armed Forces was established from a parachute airborne unit.

1965: Akosombo Dam Creation

In 1965 the Akosombo Dam created Lake Volta.

February 1966: Nkrumah's Government Overthrown in a Coup

On 24 February 1966, while Nkrumah was abroad, his government was overthrown in a coup by the Ghana Armed Forces, codenamed "Operation Cold Chop".

1966: Military and Civilian Governments Rule Ghana

From 1966, a series of alternating military and civilian governments ruled Ghana.

1966: Kwame Nkrumah Led Ghana

In 1966, Kwame Nkrumah led Ghana as the country's first prime minister and president.

1968: Publication of The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born

In 1968, Ayi Kwei Armah's novel, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, was published.

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1969: Ghana Aliens Compliance Order

In 1969, under the "Ghana Aliens Compliance Order", the Border Guard Unit deported more than 3,000,000 aliens and undocumented immigrants.

1970: Fertility Rate

In 1970, the fertility rate in Ghana was 6.95.

1981: Rawlings Comes to Power

In 1981, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings of the Provisional National Defence Council came to power.

1986: Commonwealth Games

In 1986, Ghana did not participate in the Commonwealth Games.

1992: Constitution of Ghana

In 1992, Chapter 12 of the Constitution of Ghana guaranteed freedom of the press and independence of the media, while Chapter 2 prohibited censorship.

1992: Cellular Mobile Network Launched

In 1992, Ghana launched a cellular mobile network.

1992: New Constitution Restoring Multi-Party System

In 1992, a new constitution restoring multi-party system politics was promulgated in the presidential election in which Rawlings was elected.

1992: Presidential and Parliamentary Elections

In late 1992, presidential and parliamentary elections were held.

January 1993: Fourth Republic of Ghana

In January 1993, the military government gave way to the Fourth Republic of Ghana after presidential and parliamentary elections in late 1992.

1994: Tribal War in Northern Ghana

In 1994, a tribal war in Northern Ghana between the Konkomba and other ethnic groups resulted in between 1,000 and 2,000 deaths and the displacement of 150,000 people.

1996: Rawlings Re-Elected

In the 1996 general election, Rawlings was elected.

2000: Kufuor Election

In 2000, after the election of Kufuor, tensions between the private media and the government decreased.

2000: Fertility Rate

In 2000, the fertility rate in Ghana was 3.99.

January 2001: John Kufuor Becomes President of Ghana

On 7 January 2001, John Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party became president of Ghana.

2004: John Kufuor Re-elected

In 2004, John Kufuor was re-elected as president of Ghana.

2005: Ghana Becomes Associate Member of Organisation internationale de la Francophonie

Since 2005, Ghana has been an associate member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. Also, in 2005, more than 350,000 Ghanaian children studied French in schools.

2006: FIFA World Cup Participation

In 2006, Ghana participated in the FIFA World Cup.

2007: Discovery of the Jubilee Oil Field

In 2007, the Jubilee Oil Field, containing up to 3 billion barrels of sweet crude oil, was discovered in Ghana.

2008: General Election

In the 2008 general election, Nana Akufo-Addo was defeated by John Atta Mills.

2009: Ghana Moved Up Two Places in Tourism Rankings

In 2009, Ghana moved up two places from the previous year in the World Economic Forum's ranking of tourist destinations.

2009: Publication of Tail of the Blue Bird

In 2009, Nii Ayikwei Parkes' novel, Tail of the Blue Bird, was published.

September 2010: President Mills Visits China

In September 2010, President John Atta Mills visited China on an official visit, marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

2010: Fertility Rate Decline

By 2010, the fertility rate in Ghana had declined to 3.28, with regional differences of 2.78 in urban areas and 3.94 in rural areas.

2010: FIFA World Cup Participation

In 2010, Ghana participated in the FIFA World Cup.

2010: Economic Migrants and Undocumented Immigrants in Ghana

In 2010, the Ghana Immigration Service reported that 14.6% (or 3.1 million) of Ghana's population were economic migrants and undocumented immigrants.

2010: Youth Literacy Rate

In 2010, the literacy rate of youth ages 15 to 24 years old in Ghana was 81%, with males at 82% and females at 80%.

2010: Physician Statistics

In 2010, there were 0.1 physicians per 1,000 people in Ghana.

2010: Largest Ethnic Groups in Ghana

The 2010 census reported that the largest ethnic groups in Ghana are the Akan (47.3%), the Mole-Dagbani (18.5%), the Ewe (13.9%), the Ga-Dangme (7.4%), the Gurma (5.7%) and the Guan (3.7%).

2010: World Economic Forum Ranking

The World Economic Forum statistics in 2010 showed that out of the world's favourite tourist destinations, Ghana was ranked 108th out of 139 countries.

November 2011: Chinese Official Visits Ghana

In November 2011, Zhou Tienong, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, visited Ghana and met with Ghana's president John Mahama.

2011: Hospital Bed Statistics

As of 2011, there were 0.9 hospital beds per 1,000 people in Ghana.

2011: Decline in Drug Seizures

Drug seizures in Ghana saw a decline in 2011, indicating new methods were being used by drug cartels to avoid security agencies.

2011: Ghana Ranked 11th Most Friendly Country

In 2011, Forbes magazine published that Ghana was ranked the 11th most friendly country in the world based on a survey in 2010.

2011: Tourist Arrivals in Ghana

In 2011, tourists visiting Ghana numbered 1,087,000, with arrivals including South Americans, Asians, Europeans, and North Americans.

July 2012: John Mahama Succeeds Mills as President

On 24 July 2012, Vice President John Mahama succeeded John Atta Mills, who died of natural causes, as president of Ghana.

2012: Islam Religious Demographics

According to a 2012 Pew Research report, 60.71% of Muslims in Ghana were followers of Sunni Islam, around 9.52% identified with Shia Islam, while the remaining 29.76% were non-denominational Muslims.

2012: HIV/AIDS Prevalence Estimate

As of 2012, the HIV/AIDS prevalence in Ghana was estimated at 1.40% among adults aged 15–49.

2012: Poverty Among Rural Dwellers

Between 2012 and 2013, 38% of rural dwellers in Ghana were experiencing poverty.

2012: Ghana Chairs Comsats

In 2012, Ghana was elected to chair the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (Comsats).

2012: Ozwald Boateng African Print Suits

In 2012, Ghanaian-British designer Ozwald Boateng introduced African print suits in his collection.

2012: National Health Insurance Scheme Coverage

In 2012, more than 12 million Ghanaian nationals were covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

2012: Market capitalisation of Ghana Stock Exchange

In 2012, the Ghana Stock Exchange had a market capitalisation of GH¢ 57.2 billion, making it the fifth largest in Africa.

2012: Fragile States Index Ranking

The 2012 Fragile States Index indicated that Ghana is ranked the 67th-least fragile state in the world and the fifth-least fragile state in Africa.

2013: Survey on Homosexuality Acceptance

According to a 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center, 96% of Ghanaians believe that homosexuality should not be accepted by society.

2013: Poverty Among Rural Dwellers

Between 2012 and 2013, 11% of urban dwellers in Ghana were experiencing poverty.

2013: Iranian President Meets with Mahama

In 2013, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with Mahama to hold discussions on strengthening the Non-Aligned Movement and also co–chair a bilateral meeting between Ghana and Iran at the Ghanaian presidential palace Flagstaff House.

2013: Bank of Ghana Circulating Renminbi

In 2013, the Bank of Ghana began circulating the Chinese yuan renminbi as hard currency.

2013: Ghana Stock Exchange Performance

In 2013, the Ghana Stock Exchange was the second best performing stock exchange in Sub-Saharan Africa.

2013: UN Chief States West Africa is Weak in Border Control

In 2013, the UN chief of the Office on Drugs and Crime stated that West Africa's weak border control made it a target for drug cartels to reach Europe via Africa.

2013: Infant Mortality Rate

In 2013, the infant mortality rate in Ghana was reported to be 39 per 1,000 live births.

2013: Mass Deportation of Undocumented Miners

In 2013, there was a mass deportation of undocumented miners from Ghana, with more than 4,000 being Chinese nationals.

2014: FIFA World Cup Participation

In 2014, Ghana participated in the FIFA World Cup.

2014: Urban electric cars manufactured

Since 2014, urban electric cars have been manufactured in Ghana.

2015: "Shortages" of Electricity

In 2015 and 2016, "shortages" of electricity led to dumsor, increasing interest in renewables.

2015: Gold Production in Ghana

In 2015, Ghana produced 88 metric tonnes of gold.

2015: Plans to Launch Observational Satellite

In 2015, the Ghana Space Science and Technology Centre (GSSTC) and Ghana Space Agency (GhsA) worked to have a national security observational satellite launched into orbit.

2016: General Election

As a result of the 2016 general election, Nana Akufo-Addo became president on 7 January 2017.

2016: Ghana Signed the Paris Agreement

Ghana signed the Paris Agreement in 2016.

2016: "Shortages" of Electricity

In 2015 and 2016, "shortages" of electricity led to dumsor, increasing interest in renewables.

2016: WHO Life Expectancy Estimate

In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the life expectancy at birth in Ghana to be 62 years for men and 64 years for women.

January 2017: Nana Akufo-Addo Becomes President

On 7 January 2017, Nana Akufo-Addo became president as a result of the 2016 general election.

September 2017: Free Senior High School Education

In September 2017, the government of Ghana began subsidizing senior high schools, leading to free senior high education.

2017: Free Secondary-School Initiative Started

In 2017 Ghana started a free secondary-school initiative.

2017: Upward Trend in Incidents Motivated by Political Grievances

In 2017, Ghana experienced an upward trend in incidents motivated by political grievances.

2017: Dancing Pallbearers BBC Feature

In 2017, the Nana Otafrija Pallbearing Services, also known as the Dancing Pallbearers, were featured in a BBC feature story.

2017: Fertility Rate

In 2017, the fertility rate in Ghana was 3.93 live births per woman.

2018: Corruption Perceptions Index Ranking

According to Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index of 2018, Ghana was ranked 78th out of 180 countries.

2018: Age Demographics in Ghana

As of 2018, around 29% of Ghana's population was under the age of 15.

2018: Free Senior High School Education

In 2018, senior high education in Ghana became free, with the government subsidizing the schools.

2019: Surplus of Electricity

As of 2019, Ghana had a surplus of electricity.

2019: Ghana Surpasses South Africa in Gold Output

As of 2019, Ghana was the 7th largest producer of gold in the world, surpassing South Africa in output for the first time.

2020: Ghana Aims to Avoid Emissions

Ghana aims to avoid 64 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to a business-as-usual scenario for 2020–2030.

2020: Lowest Economic Growth Rate in 37 Years

In 2020, Ghana recorded its lowest economic growth rate in 37 years.

2020: Akufo-Addo Re-elected

In 2020, Nana Akufo-Addo was re-elected after a tightly contested election.

2020: WHO Regulatory System Maturity Level

In 2020, the WHO announced Ghana became the second country in the WHO African Region to attain regulatory system "maturity level 3", the second-highest in the four-tiered WHO classification of National medicines regulatory systems.

2020: "Ghana Vision 2020" Plan Target

The "Ghana Vision 2020" plan envisions Ghana as the first African country to become a developed country between 2020 and 2029.

June 2021: Ghana Inaugurates Green Ghana Day

On 11 June 2021, Ghana inaugurated Green Ghana Day, with the aim of planting five million trees to combat deforestation.

2021: Christianity Largest Religion

In 2021, Christianity was reported as the largest religion in Ghana, with 71.3% of the population being members of various Christian denominations according to the census.

2021: Life Expectancy at Birth

In 2021, the life expectancy at birth in Ghana was 68.6 years for females and 63.7 years for males.

2021: Plans to Issue Social and Green Bonds

In the autumn of 2021, Ghana announced plans to issue government debt through social and green bonds, becoming the first African country to do so.

2022: FIFA World Cup Participation

In 2022, Ghana participated in the FIFA World Cup.

2022: Ghana Ranks Seventh in African Governance

In 2022, Ghana ranked seventh in the Ibrahim Index of African Governance for political stability in Africa.

2023: V-Dem Democracy Indices Ranking

According to 2023 V-Dem Democracy indices Ghana is ranked 67th electoral democracy worldwide and 10th electoral democracy in Africa.

2024: Ghana Population

As of 2024, the United Nations reports Ghana has a population of 34,581,288 and median age of Ghanaian citizens is 21 years old.

2024: Ghana Ranked 55th Most Peaceful Country

In 2024, Ghana ranked as the 55th most peaceful country in the world.

2024: Ghana Ranks Fifth in Fragile States Index

In 2024, Ghana ranked fifth in the Fragile States Index.

2025: Global Innovation Index Ranking

Ghana was ranked 101st in the Global Innovation Index in 2025.

2026: FIFA World Cup Participation

In 2026, Ghana participated in the FIFA World Cup.

2029: "Ghana Vision 2020" Plan Target

The "Ghana Vision 2020" plan envisions Ghana as the first African country to become a developed country between 2020 and 2029.

2030: Ghana Aims to Avoid Emissions

Ghana aims to avoid 64 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to a business-as-usual scenario for 2020–2030.

2030: "Ghana Vision 2020" Plan Target

The "Ghana Vision 2020" plan envisions Ghana as a newly industrialised country between 2030 and 2039.

2039: "Ghana Vision 2020" Plan Target

The "Ghana Vision 2020" plan envisions Ghana as a newly industrialised country between 2030 and 2039.

2060: Ghana Commits to Net Zero

Ghana has committed to net zero by 2060.

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