The Saur Revolution, also known as the April Revolution or the April Coup, was a violent coup d'état and uprising staged on 27 and 28 April 1978 by the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), which overthrew Afghan president Mohammad Daoud Khan, who had himself taken power in the 1973 Afghan coup d'état and established an autocratic one-party system in the country. Daoud and most of his family were executed at the Arg presidential palace in the capital city of Kabul by Khalqist military officers, after which his supporters were also purged and killed. The successful PDPA uprising resulted in the creation of a socialist Afghan government that was closely aligned with the Soviet Union, with Nur Muhammad Taraki serving as the PDPA's General Secretary of the Revolutionary Council. Saur is the Dari-language name for the second month of the Solar Hijri calendar, during which the events took place.
The Saur Revolution begins in Afghanistan, ending the following morning with the murder of Afghan President Mohammed Daoud Khan and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
On April 27, in the year 1978, The Saur Revolution begins in Afghanistan, ending the following morning with the murder of Afghan President Mohammed Daoud Khan and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of April 27, one of 360 recorded events on this date across all of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on April 27, 1978 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 4 Wikipedia articles.
- The event is associated with a specific geographical location (see map below).
- Wikipedia source last updated on 19 April 2026.
On This Date in History 360
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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