Mandela’s life in brief
Born in 1918, Nelson Mandela joined the
African National Congress in 1943, as a
law student.
He and other ANC leaders campaigned
against apartheid (white-only rule).
He was sentenced to life imprisonment in
1964, but was released in 1990 after 27
years in jail on Robin Island as South
Africa began to move away from strict
racial segregation.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in
1993 and was elected South Africa’s first
black president in 1994. He stepped down
after five years in office in 1999.
After leaving office, he became South
Africa’s highest-profile ambassador,
campaigning against HIV/Aids and
helping to secure his country’s right to
host the 2010 football World Cup.
He was also involved in peace
negotiations in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, Burundi and other countries in
Africa and elsewhere.
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