Encyclopaedia Africana

Writers, Scholars & Scientists

  • 10 Min Read

Ethelred Nathaniel Jones (June 28, 1884-March 29, 1954) who from the 1920s, onwards also used the name Laminah Sankoh, was one of the most outstanding...

  • 2 Min Read

Autshumayo (?-1663), also referred to as Harry, Herry, or Hadah in European documentary sources, was originally a member of the Stockless Khoi, who lived in...

  • 4 Min Read

Kofi Ghanaba (May 4, 1923 – December 22, 2008) was a pioneering Ghanaian musician, percussionist, broadcaster, journalist, and author. Born Warren Gamaliel Harding Akwei in...

  • 3 Min Read

Empress Eléni (147-April 1522), who reigned from 1468-78, was the wife of Emperor Ba’eda Maryam. She played an important role in Ethiopian history when, in...

  • 5 Min Read

Edward Wilmot Blyden (1832-1912), a noted Africanist, was born of free parents on the island of St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands. He was of pure...

  • 6 Min Read

Carl Christian Reindorf (May 31, 1834 – July 1 , 1917), an evangelical pastor, scholar, trader, physician, and historian, who worked with the Basel Mission,...

  • 3 Min Read

Faulkner Thomas J.R. (1870-1942) was born in the state of North Carolina, U.S.A., and migrated to Liberia as a young man. He was educated in...

  • 3 Min Read

Dempster Roland Tombekai (December 9, 1910 – September 24, 1965), author, member of the House of Representatives, eminent scholar, Professor of Latin and World Literature....

  • 3 Min Read

Muhammad ibn al-Mustafa and ‘Umar Kunandi ibn ‘Umar, (who both lived in the 18th century), were Dyula scholars from Gonja (Ngbanya), a state located in...

  • 3 Min Read

Johan Hendrik (Henry) de Villiers (June 15, 1842-September 2, 1914), first Baron de Villiers of Wynberg, South Africa, was the first colonial-born chief justice of...

Editor’s Note

This website features a collection of articles largely from previously published volumes of the Encyclopaedia Africana, specifically the Encyclopaedia Africana Dictionary of African Biography, which highlights notable individuals from various regions of Africa. Please note that in these volumes, some names of people, towns, and countries were spelled differently than they are today. We have retained these historical spellings to preserve the integrity of the original publications. In some instances, the current spellings are also provided for easy reference.
Please report errors to: info@encyclopaediaafricana.com / research@encyclopaediaafricana.com

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