Haile Selassie I (In History) - July 23, 1892 - August 27, 1975

Haile Selassie I, was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 – 1974. Born Tafari Makonnen in Ethiopia in 1892, he became the 111th emperor in the succession of the line of King Solomon. Upon being crowned emperor, he changed his name to Haile Selassie, meaning, "Might of the Trinity". Many world leaders consulted with him during his rule, such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Nelson Mandela. He fought to keep his country a sovereign nation and led the war when Italians intended to overtake Ethiopia. He also established the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, headquartered in Addis Ababa. There are mixed emotions about Haile Selassie's reign, and although he accomplished such things as modernizing the government in Ethiopia, and abolishing slavery, his intentions were questioned. Some feel, that he may have cowardly run to Europe during the war, instead of being exiled. Some feel that slavery was abolished only to obtain entry into the League of Nations. Some question his actions in the face of Ethiopia's poverty and famine. However you view his reign, he was unquestionably instrumental in maintaining Ethiopia's independence and bringing an African Nation to the forefront of global politics, when most other nations were still in the midst of colonialism.

Sites referencing Haile Selassie:
http://history.acusd.edu/gen/text/selassie.html
http://www.imperialethiopia.org/selassie.htm
http://www.jamaicans.com/culture/rasta/MarcusGarveyeditorial.shtml
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0822368.html