Haile Selassie

Date of Birth: July 23, 1892

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Date of Death: August 27, 1975

Biography

Haile Selassie, born Tafari Makonnen on July 23, 1892, in Ejersa Goro, Ethiopia, was the last Emperor of Ethiopia, ruling from 1930 to 1974. He was a significant figure in Ethiopian history and is celebrated for his efforts to modernize the country and for his role in the establishment of the African Union. Selassie’s reign saw Ethiopia’s struggle against Italian invasion, during which he made an impassioned plea to the League of Nations, bringing global attention to Ethiopia’s plight. He is also a central figure in the Rastafari movement, which regards him as the returned messiah of the Bible, God incarnate. Selassie’s administration was marked by efforts to modernize Ethiopian infrastructure, education, and military. His reign saw the introduction of Ethiopia’s first written constitution in 1931, and later, the revised constitution of 1955 which aimed at modernizing the nation further. However, his rule faced criticism for its autocratic style and failure to address widespread poverty and famine, leading to his overthrow in 1974 by a Marxist-Leninist military junta known as the Derg. Haile Selassie was placed under house arrest and died under mysterious circumstances on August 27, 1975.

5 Interesting Facts about Haile Selassie

1. Haile Selassie was named Time magazine’s Man of the Year in 1935 for his resistance against the Italian invasion.

2. He played a crucial role in the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, which is now known as the African Union.

3. Selassie was fluent in several languages, including Amharic, French, and English.

4. His speech at the League of Nations in 1936 is considered one of the most significant appeals for collective security against aggression.

5. Haile Selassie is venerated as the returned messiah by followers of the Rastafari movement, which began in Jamaica in the 1930s.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Haile Selassie

1. “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”

2. “It is much easier to show compassion to animals. They are never wicked.”

3. “We must become bigger than we have been: more courageous, greater in spirit, larger in outlook. We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our fellow men within the human community.”

4. “History teaches us that unity is strength, and cautions us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals, to strive, with all our combined strength, for the path to true African brotherhood and unity.”

5. “Peace demands the united efforts of us all. Who can foresee what spark might ignite the fuse?”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the peak of his power, Haile Selassie’s net worth was estimated to be around $2 billion (adjusted for inflation).

Children

Haile Selassie had six children: 1. Princess Tenagnework 2. Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen (later Emperor Amha Selassie I) 3. Princess Zenebework 4. Princess Tsehai 5. Prince Makonnen, Duke of Harar 6. Prince Sahle Selassie