The Order of the Black Star (''Ordre de l'Étoile Noire'') was an order of knighthood established on 1 December 1889 at

Porto-Novo Porto-Novo (Portuguese: "New Port", , ; yo, Àjàṣẹ́, ), also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe, is the capital of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of Gu ...

Toffa King Toffa I (c.1850-1908) was a ruler of the kingdom of Họgbonu, or Ajase, an area of Benin which today is known as Porto-Novo. Upon becoming ruler in 1874, he was renowned for his openness and cooperation with the colonial powers. He encoura ...

, future king of

Dahomey The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a region ...

(today the

Republic of Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Republic of Dahomey, Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burki ...

). Approved and recognised by the French government on 30 July 1894, after the establishment of the new statutes of 30 August 1892, according this distinction to all those who worked to develop French influence on the west coast of Africa.

Classes

The order has five classes: ''Grand-Croix'' (Grand-Cross), ''Commandeur avec Plaque'' (Commander with Plaque), ''Commandeur'' (Commander), ''Officier'' (Officer), and ''Chevalier'' (Knight). The order was deprecated by decree on 3 December 1963, and superseded by the

Ordre National du Mérite The Ordre national du Mérite (; en, National Order of Merit) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's esta ...

. Extant members of the order are permitted to wear their original decorations.

Recipients

* Grand-Crosses **

Amha Selassie Amha Selassie ( Amharic: አምሃ ሥላሴ; Āmiha Šilasē; born Asfaw Wossen Tafari; 27 July 191617 January 1997) was Emperor-in-exile of Ethiopia. As son of Haile Selassie I, he was Crown Prince and was proclaimed Emperor three times. He ...

Hamengkubuwono VIII Hamengkubuwono VIII (3 March 1880 – 22 October 1939), also spelled as Hamengkubuwana VIII, was the 8th sultan of Yogyakarta, reigning from 1921 until his death in 1939. During his reign, he carried out the rehabilitation of the Kraton Ngayogyaka ...

Edgard de Larminat Edgard de Larminat (29 November 1895 – 1 July 1962) was a French general, who fought in two World Wars. He was one of the most important military figures who rejoined the renegade Free French forces under the British in 1940. He was awarded ...

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny Jean Joseph Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny (2 February 1889 – 11 January 1952) was a French général d'armée during World War II and the First Indochina War. He was posthumously elevated to the dignity of Marshal of France in 1952. As ...

* Commanders with Plaque **

Michel Arnaud Michel Arnaud (17 November 1915 – 1 August 1990) was a French Army general who distinguished himself in World War II, and for this was decorated with the Ordre de la Libération and made ''Grand Officier de la Légion d'honneur''. Biography S ...

Pedro Correia de Barros Pedro Correia de Barros (20 June 1911 – 2 February 1968) was a Portugal, Portuguese navy officer and colonial administrator. Biography Barros was born in Loulé. He graduated from the Naval School (Portugal), Naval School in 1932. He also had t ...

Gustaf Bonde (1911–1977) Count Gustaf Bonde af Björnö (8 October 1911 – 21 September 1977) was a Swedish diplomat. Career Bonde was born at Trolleholm Castle, Sweden, the son of count Gustaf Trolle–Bonde (1868–1951) and countess Henriette Falkenberg (1883–1932) ...

Smedley Butler Major General Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881June 21, 1940), nicknamed the "Maverick Marine", was a senior United States Marine Corps officer who fought in the Philippine–American War, the Boxer Rebellion, the Mexican Revolution and W ...

Jacob Emil van Hoogstraten Jacob Emil "Dick" van Hoogstraten (1898–1991) was a Dutch public servant in the Dutch East Indies from 1922 to 1949, functioning as Director of the Department of Economic Affairs from 1942 to 1949. He was one of the architects of economic rec ...

Harry J. Malony Major general (United States), Major General Harry James Malony (August 24, 1889 – March 23, 1971) was a decorated United States Army officer who, after seeing distinguished service overseas on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front dur ...

Jacques Massu Jacques Émile Massu (; 5 May 1908 – 26 October 2002) was a French general who fought in World War II, the First Indochina War, the Algerian War and the Suez crisis. He led French troops in the Battle of Algiers, first supporting and later ...

Ernest Dichmann Peek Ernest Dichmann Peek (November 19, 1878 – April 22, 1950) was a major general in the United States Army, who commanded the 9th Corps Area at the beginning of World War II. Biography Peek was born on November 19, 1878, in Oshkosh, Wisconsi ...

Bengt Rabaeus Bengt Rabaeus (4 May 1917 – 31 July 2010) was a Swedish diplomat. Early life Rabaeus was born on 4 May 1917 in Vara, Sweden, the son of the senior teacher David Ohlson and his wife Ingegärd (née Bengtson). He passed his '' studentexamen'' from ...

Howard Robertson (architect) Sir Howard Morley Robertson MC RA (16 August 1888 – 5 May 1963) was an American-born British architect, President of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1952 to 1954 and a Royal Academician. In 1949, he was the winner of the Ro ...

Sisavang Vong King Sisavangvong ( lo, ພຣະບາທສົມເດັຈພຣະເຈົ້າມະຫາຊີວິຕສີສວ່າງວົງສ໌, 14 July 1885 – 29 October 1959) Born Prince Khao , was one of the last kings of Luang Praban ...

* Commanders **

Ewart Culpin Ewart Gladstone Culpin (3 December 1877 – 1 December 1946) was a British Labour Party politician and town planner who served as the Chairman of London County Council. Biography The son of Ben Ephraim Lamartine and Eliza Culpin, Ewart atten ...

** William H. Hay **

John H. Hughes (general) John H. Hughes (February 4, 1876 – August 6, 1953) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of major general, and was most notable for his command of the Philippine Division (1937–1938) and the Philippine Departmen ...

Palden Thondup Namgyal Palden Thondup Namgyal ( Sikkimese: ; Wylie: ''dpal-ldan don-grub rnam-rgyal'') (23 May 1923 – 29 January 1982) was the 12th and last Chogyal (king) of the Kingdom of Sikkim. Biography Palden thondup Namgyal was born on 23 May 1923 at the ...

Pakubuwono X Pakubuwono X (also transliterated Pakubuwana X, sometimes abbreviated PBX; Surakarta, November 29, 1866 – Surakarta, February 22, 1939) was the tenth Susuhunan (ruler of Surakarta). Birth His birth name ( jv, asma timur) was Raden ...

** Wilhelm Winther **

Arthur Young (police officer) Colonel Sir Arthur Edwin Young (15 February 1907 – 20 January 1979) was a British police officer. He was Commissioner of Police of the City of London from 1950 to 1971 and was also the first head of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to be styled ...

** John H. Sherburne * Officers * Knights **

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...

Philip Sassoon Sir Philip Albert Gustave David Sassoon, 3rd Baronet, (4 December 1888 – 3 June 1939) was a British politician, art collector, and socialite, entertaining many celebrity guests at his homes, Port Lympne Mansion, Kent, and Trent Park, North Lond ...

George A. White Major General George A. White (18 July 1880 – 23 November 1941) was an American journalist, magazine editor, and senior officer of the Oregon National Guard, who helped organize The American Legion. He commanded the 41st Infantry Division, m ...

* Unknown Class **

Willy Coppens Willy Omer François Jean baron Coppens de Houthulst (6 July 1892 – 21 December 1986) was Belgium's leading fighter ace and the champion "balloon buster" of World War I. He was credited with 37 confirmed victories and six probables. Early ...

** John F. Curry **

Ernest J. Dawley Major General Ernest Joseph "Mike" Dawley (17 February 1886 – 10 December 1973) was a senior officer of the United States Army, best known during World War II for commanding the VI Corps during Operation Avalanche, the Allied landings at Sal ...

Pierre Pouyade Pierre Pouyade (25 June 1911 – 5 September 1979) was a French Air Force general, World War II flying ace, and a commander of the Normandie-Niemen squadron. By the end of the War he had scored eight solo victories and two group victories, all but ...

Michael Scott (golfer) The Hon. Michael Scott OBE (31 August 1878 – 9 January 1959) was an English amateur golfer, most famous for being the oldest winner of The Amateur Championship. Michael Scott was the son of John Scott, 3rd Earl of Eldon, and the youngest ...

** Emmet Harris2nd Lieutenant US Infantry (New York) d. 13 August 1919. Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774 - 1985; Card Register of Burials of Deceased American Soldiers, 1917 - 1922
File Unit: Hanf - Harrisburg
entry 1481 and 1482

References

* 1889 establishments in Africa 1889 in the Kingdom of Dahomey 19th-century establishments in the Kingdom of Dahomey 1963 disestablishments in the Republic of Dahomey Colonial orders of chivalry Military awards and decorations of France Orders, decorations, and medals of Benin Black star Awards established in 1889 Awards disestablished in 1963 {{Orders-medals-stub