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Haile Selassie

Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 through 1974

The emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 through 1974 whose real name was Tafari Makonnen. The cause of his death has yet to be clarified.

The son of one of Menelik II´s advisers, he received an education throughout his childhood and youth to be a statesmen. His real name is Tafari Makonnen (1892), and he held the position of Ras (lord), just as his father. When Empress Zaudita died in 1930, Tafari was crowned emperor with the name of Haile Selassie I.  When Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935, he was at the forefront of the resistance against the invaders, and in 1936 he was forced into exile.

He recovered the throne in 1941 when British troops, assisted by the Ethiopian resistance, gained control of Addis Abeba. His government continued through 1974, when hunger in some regions and political stagnation created an environment that resulted in a coup d'état. Haile Selassie was held in house arrest until his death was announced in 1975. The cause of his death has yet to be clarified. However, his memory continues intact thanks to his remains, which since 2000, have rested in Trinity Cathedral located in Addis Abeba. Rastafarians keep his memory alive with the belief that Haile Selassie is The Messiah, although Selassie was in reality a devout Christian. In the eyes of this movement, he continues to live.

Sources:

www.spock.com

www.ikuska.com

www.biografiasyvidas