On November 14, 1864, Olayinka Herbert Samuel Heelas Badmus Macaulay, popularly known as Herbert Macaulay was born.
He was born to Thomas Babington Macaulay, founder of CMS Grammar School, Lagos, and Abigail Crowther, daughter of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther.
Records revealed that he was the first Nigerian to qualify as a civil engineer and later made his mark as a surveyor, architect, journalist and musician.
Macaulay, who was widely recognised today as the Father of Nigerian Nationalism, spent decades challenging colonial oppression, defending the rights of Lagosians, and fighting for the political and economic freedom of the masses.
He founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) on June 24, 1923 following the introduction of the Clifford Constitution of 1922, which created elective seats for Lagos and Calabar.
He became a symbol of resistance and used his newspaper, the Lagos Daily News, his legal battles, and his street credibility to give ordinary Nigerians a voice against colonial rule.
He died on May 7, 1946, but his legacy lives on.
