The artist Lemma Tesefa Kesime was born (1956) in Debre Zeyit. He studied at the Art School 1972-1974 and received his M.A. from the Soviet Union in 1983. Returning to Ethiopia, Lemma Tesefa became a teacher at the art school in Addis Ababa. Debre Zeyit was also the favored weekend retreat of Emperor Haile Selassie, who built a palace in the town, named "Fairfield" after his wartime home in exile in the town of Bath, England.
Armed forces of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front bypassed the capital and occupied Debre Zeyit in May, 1991, bringing order to the area after the collapse of the Mengistu government, taking control of what remained of the Soviet-supplied Air Force. The airbase was also used to detain several dozen senior military officers after the capture of the capital.
A bomb exploded in the town at the beginning of May 2004. It killed one person while injuring many more
