Who was Nelson Mandela?
Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid leader who spent 27 years in prison and became the country's first Black president in 1994. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
Mandela was born in 1918 in the village of Mvezo. He trained as a lawyer and joined the African National Congress, which fought apartheid, the system of racial segregation and discrimination imposed by South Africa's white minority government. After peaceful protests were met with violence, he helped lead an armed resistance.
In 1964, Mandela was sentenced to life in prison. He spent 18 of his 27 years behind bars on Robben Island, near Cape Town. International pressure grew, and he was released on February 11, 1990. He and President F.W. de Klerk negotiated an end to apartheid and shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
President and peacemaker
In 1994, South Africa held its first elections in which all races could vote, and Mandela became president. He focused on reconciliation between Black and white South Africans. He served one term, retiring in 1999, and died in 2013 at age 95.
Did You Know?
The United Nations marks Nelson Mandela International Day on July 18, his birthday, encouraging people to spend 67 minutes helping others, one for each year of his public service.