French Dahomey French Dahomey French Dahomey was a French colony of and a part of French West Africa from 1904 to 1958. After World War II, by the establishment of the French Fourth Republic in 1947, Dahomey became part of the French Union with an increased autonomy. On 11 December 1958, the French Fifth Republic was established and the French Union became the French Community. The colony became the self-governing Republic of Dahomey within the Community, and two years later on 1 August 1960 it gained full independence (and in 1975 changed its name to Benin). During the 13th century, the indigenous
Republic Day In 1990, Slovenia was the first federal republic to cease observing the holiday. Other seceded republics followed suit as Yugoslavia dissolved. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia kept the holiday until 2002. The date "29.XI.1943" figured prominently on the Yugoslav coat of arms. On 1 December 1958, Ubangi-Shari became an autonomous territory within the French Community as the Central African Republic. On 11 December 1958, Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community. This is commemorated in Burkina Faso as the Proclamation of the Republic. Kenya gained independence from the United Kingdom on 12 December 1963. For one year,