(Kwame Nkrumah - driving force for African unity)

In what started as an uptick from the end of World War 2 in 1945 became a full blown avalanche by the 1960's. African Independence was a major issue confronting many European countries, former colonial powers prior to the War. In 1960 alone over 15 former colonies became independent African nations, gaining seats in the United Nations for the first time. One of the more vocal proponents of the African Independence movement was Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah. In the midst of a civil war that broke out in the newly Independent nation of The Congo (Independent as of June 30th 1960), Nkrumah spoke out in support of a hands-off policy, fearing the former colonial powers would seize an opportunity to regain control. Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev joined in with calls to oust the U.S. from the UN and unseat Dag Hammerskjold as Secretary General.

All in all, nobody took 1960 lying down.