President Sylvanus Olympio
President of Togo, Togolese 1902-1963
Place of DeathLome, Togo, Africa
Place of BirthLome, Togo, Africa
Sylvanus Olympio was an African political leader, president of Togo from 1961 to 1963. He was active in trade before entering politics and helped bring about Togo’s independence from France. Before Togo became a republic in 1960, he was premier and minister of finance and justice. He was assassinated in a coup in 1963 by a group of ex-soldiers.