July 29 remains a significant day in Nigeria’s history as the three men who changed the fate of the country met their doom on that day. Johnson Thomas Umunakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, Yakubu ‘Jack’ Dan-Yumma Gowon, and Kaduna Patrick Chukwuma Nzeogwu. Only one of them was lucky to be alive at the time of making this video.
Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was 41 years, 10 months, and 13 days old when he became the Head of State of Nigeria on January 16, 1966, having been born on March 3, 1924, in Umuahia, present-day Abia State.
General Yakubu Gowon was 31 years, 10 months, and 18 days old when he became the Head of State of Nigeria on August 1, 1966, having been born on October 19, 1934, in Kanke, present-day Plateau State.
Major Kaduna Nzeogwu was born on February 26, 1937, to his Igbo immigrant parents in Kaduna, present-day Kaduna State. He was an ambitious young military officer and a Roman Catholic. He was also a rebellious military officer and the forerunner of the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps. He was in charge of counterintelligence; the first Nigerian to hold the post.
One interesting fact is that in 1966, Nzeogwu changed the history of Nigeria that brought the two generals, Aguiyi-Ironsi and Gowon, into power.
One unified the country with a decree; the other unified the country with a bloody civil war that lasted for 30 months.
As military Heads of State, Aguiyi-Ironsi ruled Nigeria the shortest, for 194 days, while Gowon ruled Nigeria the longest, a lengthy 3,284 days.
However, on a July 29, Aguiyi-Ironsi and Nzeogwu would lose their lives while Gowon was lucky enough to lose power, and not his life, in a bloodless coup on July 29, 1975.
So, how did these events come to be? What’s special about July 29? That’s the focus of this video. #HistoryVille
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
01:29 The First Republic and Its Fall
02:30 Nigeria's First Coup D'etat
03:42 The Rise and Fall of Aguiyi-Ironsi
04:55 The July 29, 1966, Northern Counter-Coup
05:43 The Rise and Fall of Yakubu Gowon
07:59 The Significance of July 29
09:13 Next Video
