Following the end of the Russo-Turkish war in 1878, Cyprus was leased to the British Empire and was formally annexed by Britain at the end of the First World War.
Since the time of Ottoman rule, the concept of ‘enosis’ – a union with Greece had been an ideal held by many Greek Cypriots,
In April 1955, this ideal became a military aim, with the start of the guerilla campaign of the EOKA (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston) whose aim was unification with Greece through armed struggle.
The campaign against the British lasted for the next four years. A cease-fire was reached in August 1960 and Cyprus attained independence after the Zurich and London Agreement between the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey. The effective date of the London-Zürich Agreements was August 16th 1960, but the public holiday was moved to October 1st to avoid the summer heat and the bustle of the tourist season.
The Republic of Cyprus came into being on August 19th 1960, and on September 20th, Cyprus joined the United Nations and the British Commonwealth.
On the stroke of midnight on October 1st 1960, the agreement of independence between the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey and the British governor read a British proclamation declaring the independence of Cyprus
Archbishop Marakios III, the leader of the island’s Greek community became the first President of Cyprus.
Cyprus did not celebrate its independence day as a national holiday until 1979, 19 years after independence from British rule.