Siege of Saïo the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, proclaimed the colony of "Africa Orientale Italiana" (AOI, Italian East Africa), formed from Ethiopia (after the Italian victory in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, fought 3 October 1935 – May 1936) and the existing Italian possessions of Italian Eritrea and Italian Somaliland. On 10 June 1940, Mussolini declared war on Britain and France, which made Italian military forces in Libya a threat to Egypt and those in Italian East Africa a danger to the British and French colonies in East Africa. Italian belligerence also closed the Mediterranean to Allied merchant ships and endangered British supply routes
1854 Maryland constitutional referendum 1854 Maryland constitutional referendum A constitutional referendum was held in Maryland Colony on 29 March 1854. The new constitution was approved by voters and general elections were subsequently held on 15 May, before independence was declared on 8 June. The Maryland State Colonization Society was established in Maryland in the United States in 1830. The group established the Maryland Colony in Africa on 22 February 1834. After Liberia declared independence in 1847, the desire for independence also grew in Maryland, and the settlers presented a petition to the authorities for a referendum, which was held in January 1853 and approved