Who was Haile Selassie I?
Q: Who was Haile Selassie I?
A: Haile Selassie I was the Emperor of Ethiopia from April 2, 1930 to September 12, 1974. He was also Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia from 1916 to 1930 and one of the founding fathers of the League of Nations and United Nations.
Q: What titles did he have?
A: He was crowned "Haile Selassie I, King of Kings of Ethiopia, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God" on November 2, 1930.
Q: How did his coronation become widely known?
A: His coronation received widespread publicity through two TIME Magazine articles.
Q: How did his divinity become a belief in Jamaica?
A: His titles created interest on the island of Jamaica where a belief in his divinity (Godliness) soon arose because he was seen as a symbol for black liberation.
Q: What happened when Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1936?
A: In 1936 when Italy invaded Ethiopia, Haile Selassie gave a speech at the League Nations asking for help but it failed to act. With help from Britain during World War II he returned to Ethiopia in 1941.
Q: What organization did he help create in 1963?
A: In 1963, Haile Selassie helped start the Organisation African Unity (OAU) with its headquarters located in Addis Ababa.
Q: When and how did he die?
A: On September 12th 1974 he was overthrown by a Marxist coup and it is said that he died due to natural causes in August 1975 however evidence later showed that he had been murdered. However many Rastafarians claim that he is still alive
