Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day in Ghana Date in the current year: September 21, 2024

Kwame Nkrumah was born on September 21, 1909 in the Gold Coast (now Ghana) to a poor family. Having graduated from a Catholic school and the Government Training College in Acca, he worked as a teacher for several years. At age 26, he traveled to the US to continue his education.

Nkrumah returned to the Gold Coast in 1947 to serve as the General Secretary to the United Gold Coast Convention, the country’s first true political party. Two years later, he left the UGCC to form his own party, the Convention People’s Party. In 1951, Nkrumah became the first Prime Minister of the Gold Coast and led the state towards independence from Great Britain in 1957. He became the first prime minister of independent Ghana and soon its first president in 1960.

Nkrumah’s birth anniversary was originally celebrated as Founder’s Day in order to highlight his contribution to the achievement of Ghana’s independence. However, Nkrumah is a somewhat controversial figure, so in 2017, it was decided to move Founders Day to August 4 and celebrate September 21 as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day. This way, Nkrumah is still honored, but he isn’t viewed as the country’s sole founder anymore.