Nelson Mandela

Date of Birth: July 18, 1918

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Date of Death: December 5, 2013

Biography

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country’s first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His presidency marked the end of decades of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa. Mandela was born into the Thembu royal family in the village of Mvezo in Umtata, then part of South Africa’s Cape Province. He studied law at the University of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand before working as a lawyer in Johannesburg. In 1943, he joined the African National Congress (ANC), where he became a founding member of its Youth League. After the National Party’s establishment of apartheid in 1948, Mandela was appointed President of the ANC’s Transvaal branch and rose to prominence for his involvement in the 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People. Mandela was arrested and imprisoned multiple times. In 1962, he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial. Mandela served 27 years in prison, initially on Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. Amid growing domestic and international pressure, and with fears of a racial civil war, President F.W. de Klerk released him in 1990. Mandela and de Klerk negotiated the end of apartheid and organized the 1994 multiracial general election, in which Mandela led the ANC to victory and became president. As President, Mandela worked to dismantle the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalized racism, poverty, and inequality and fostering racial reconciliation. He declined to run for a second term and was succeeded by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki, in 1999. Mandela remained active in politics, continuing to raise awareness on issues such as HIV/AIDS through his Nelson Mandela Foundation.

5 Interesting Facts about Nelson Mandela

1. Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 alongside F.W. de Klerk.

2. He spent 27 years in prison, with 18 of those years on Robben Island.

3. Mandela was often referred to by his clan name, Madiba.

4. He was the first member of his family to receive a formal education.

5. Mandela’s autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom,” was published in 1994 and details his early life, education, and 27 years in prison.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Nelson Mandela

1. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

2. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

3. “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”

4. “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

5. “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Nelson Mandela’s highest net worth was estimated to be around $10 million.

Children

Nelson Mandela had six children. His children with his first wife, Evelyn Mase, were Thembekile (Thembi), Makgatho, and Makaziwe. With his second wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, he had two daughters, Zenani and Zindziswa (Zindzi).