Portrait of Sobhuza II

Birthday profile

Sobhuza II

Sobhuza II of Swaziland (died 1982)

Born
July 22, 1899
Died
August 21, 1982
Zodiac sign
Cancer
Birth year
1899

About Sobhuza II

Sobhuza II (Swazi: [sɔbʱuzʱa]; also known as Nkhotfotjeni, Mona; 22 July 1899 – 21 August 1982) was Ngwenyama (King) of Swaziland (now Eswatini) for 82 years and 254 days, the longest verifiable reign of any monarch in recorded history. Sobhuza was born on 22 July 1899 at Zombodze Royal Residence, the son of Inkhosikati Lomawa Ndwandwe and King Bhunu. When he was only four months old, his father died suddenly while dancing incwala. Sobhuza was chosen king soon after that and his grandmother Labotsibeni and his great-uncle Prince Malunge, a son of Mbandzeni, led the Swazi nation until his maturity in 1921. Sobhuza was acknowledged as King by the British in 1967, and Swaziland achieved independence in 1968. Sobhuza continued to reign until his death in 1982. He was succeeded by Mswati III, his young son with Inkhosikati Ntfombi Tfwala, who was crowned in 1986. Sobhuza's official incumbency of 82 years and 254 days is the longest precisely dated monarchical reign on record and the world's longest documented reign of any sovereign since antiquity. As a consequence, acting through his advisory council, he formed the Imbokodvo National Movement, a political party, which contested and won all seats in the 1967 pre-independence elections.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

The world when Sobhuza II was born

Sobhuza II was born in 1899. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Headlines and milestones

  • Top headlinePhilippine-American War begins
  • Technology milestoneFirst magnetic recording of sound
  • World population~1.59B

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderWilliam McKinley
  • U.S. population72.0M

1899 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Sobhuza II's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure18992026
Population72.0M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Library of Congress, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

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