Haile Selassie I

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Covers

Records

Haile Selassie's achievements are extraordinary: he was the first African leader to address the League of Nations, the driving force behind the Organisation of African Unity, and a global symbol of resistance against fascism. His modernization of Ethiopia, including the abolition of slavery and introduction of a constitution, set a precedent for the continent. He remains the only Ethiopian monarch to have been named Time's Man of the Year. His legacy as a unifying figure for the African diaspora, particularly through Rastafari, is unparalleled. His 1936 League of Nations speech is still studied as a masterclass in moral persuasion.

AwardsHaile Selassie received numerous international orders and decorations, including the Royal Victorian Chain from the United Kingdom in 1930, the Order of the Garter in 1954, and the Legion of Honour from France in 1932. He was named Time magazine's Man of the Year in 1935. He also received honorary degrees from Oxford, Cambridge, and Howard University, among others. Posthumously, he was awarded the United Nations Human Rights Award in 2000 for his role in advocating for African self-determination.

Honours & Distinctions

Time Person of the Year

Time Magazine·1935

First African leader to receive this honor.

Honorary Doctor of Civil Law

University of Oxford·1954

Awarded during his state visit to the UK.

Honorary Doctor of Laws

University of Cambridge·1954

Recognized for his contributions to international diplomacy.

Honorary Doctor of Laws

Howard University·1966

Honored for his leadership in African liberation.

Jamaican Order of Merit

Government of Jamaica·1966

Awarded for his significance to the Rastafari movement.

Statue at African Union Headquarters

African Union·2023

Bronze statue unveiled on the 60th anniversary of the OAU's founding.

Rankings & Lists

Man of the Year

Time Magazine·1935

#Listed

100 Greatest Africans

BBC·2004

#Listed

100 Most Important People of the Century

Time Magazine·1999

Magazine Covers

TIME Magazine

1935-12-09

Man of the Year: Haile Selassie

TIME Magazine

1930-11-03

Ethiopia's New Emperor

TIME Magazine

1936-07-25

Exiled Emperor Speaks to the League

TIME Magazine

1941-05-12

Return to Addis Ababa

LIFE Magazine

1930-11-11

Coronation Coverage

Records & Feats

First African leader to address the League of Nations

Historic First·1936

Haile Selassie spoke before the League of Nations in Geneva on June 30, 1936, warning against fascist aggression.

Only Ethiopian monarch named Time Person of the Year

Media·1935

He was named Time's Man of the Year in 1935, the first and only Ethiopian leader to receive this honor.

Longest-reigning Ethiopian emperor of the 20th century

Career Milestone·1974

Selassie reigned for 44 years, from 1930 to 1974, the longest reign of any Ethiopian emperor in the 20th century.