Students Force Rhee Out: South Korea's Democratic Dawn
Students across South Korea took to the streets in 1960 to demand an end to President Syngman Rhee's authoritarian rule, sparking a wave of protests that forced his resignation just weeks later. This uprising dismantled the First Republic and ushered in a brief period of democratic governance known as the Second Republic before military intervention resumed.
April 19, 1960
66 years ago
Key Figures & Places
President of South Korea
Wikipedia
President
Wikipedia
South Korea
Wikipedia
Syngman Rhee
Wikipedia
a nationwide pro-democracy protest
Wikipedia
April Revolution
Wikipedia
President of South Korea
Wikipedia
Syngman Rhee
Wikipedia
Seoul
Wikipedia
South Korea
Wikipedia
Hawaii
Wikipedia
Histoire de la Corée du Sud
Wikipedia
What Else Happened on April 19
A slave named Milichus didn't just overhear a whisper; he heard his master Piso plotting to kill Nero himself. The freedman raced through Rome's dark streets, r…
Belisarius didn't just lose; he lost his cavalry to a Persian arrow that shattered his shield and forced a chaotic retreat across the Euphrates. Thousands of me…
Danish raiders bludgeoned the Archbishop of Canterbury, Ælfheah, to death after he refused to authorize a massive ransom payment from his impoverished people. H…
Three days of fire and blood in April 1506 turned Lisbon's streets red. Angry mobs dragged the "New Christians" from their homes, burning them alive at the Ross…
Seven German princes and four free cities just refused to sign a decree banning Luther's teachings. They didn't care that Emperor Charles V had already crushed …
Two rivals sat in Frankfurt, ink drying on paper that promised silence where screams had been loud for years. Charles V and Protestant leaders didn't just sign;…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.