On this day in 1975, Angola gained independence from Portugal, ending nearly five centuries of Portuguese colonial rule.
The independence followed the signing of the Alvor Agreement in January 1975 between Portugal and three Angolan liberation movements: MPLA, FNLA and UNITA, which set November 11 as the date for independence.
At midnight in Luanda, MPLA leader Agostinho Neto proclaimed the independence of the People's Republic of Angola.
