Ethiopia National Day

Ethiopia National Day

May 28A military junta called the Derg brought an end to the Ethiopian Empire and Haile Selassie's rule September 12, 1974. Haile Selassie (born Tafari Makonnen, 1892-1975) was crowned in 1930, inheriting the throne from a long line of regents. According to tradition, he was the 111th ruler descended from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
The Derg socialist military regime was overthrown by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in 1991, commemorated by the May 28 holiday. A constitution was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995.
CONTACTS:
Ethiopian Embassy
3506 International Dr. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-364-1200; fax: 202-587-0195
www.ethiopianembassy.org
Ethiopian Tourism Commission
P.O. Box 2183
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
www.tourismethiopia.org (click on "Cultural Attractions")