Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (July 18, 1918 to December 5, 2013) was a nonviolence anti-apartheid activist, politician and philanthropist who became South Africa's first black president from 1994 to 1999. ... de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to dismantle the country's apartheid system.

ɪɴ 1952,ɴᴇʟꜱᴏɴ ᴍᴀɴᴅᴇʟᴀ ᴏᴩᴇɴᴇᴅ ꜱᴏᴜᴛʜ ᴀꜰʀɪᴄᴀ'ꜱ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ-ʀᴜɴ ʟᴀᴡ ꜰɪʀᴍ...,,,ᴍᴀɴᴅᴇʟᴀ'ꜱ ʙɪʀᴛʜ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ #ʀᴏʟɪʜʟᴀʜʟᴀ. ɪɴ ʜɪꜱ xʜᴏꜱᴀ ᴛʀɪʙᴇ,ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴍᴇᴀɴꜱ "ᴩᴜʟʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴀɴᴄʜ ᴏꜰ ᴛʀᴇᴇ".
ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ɪɴ ᴩʀɪꜱᴏɴ,ᴍᴀɴᴅᴇʟᴀ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴡɪʟʟɪᴀᴍ ᴇʀɴᴇꜱᴛ ʜᴇɴʟᴇy'ꜱ ɪɴᴠɪᴄᴛᴜꜱ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴇʟʟᴏᴡ ᴩʀɪꜱᴏɴᴇʀꜱ...
ɪɴ 2001,ʜᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴩᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴏʀᴀʀy ᴄᴀɴᴀᴅɪᴀɴ ᴄɪᴛɪᴢᴇɴ...
ɪɴ 2009,ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴɪᴛᴇᴅ ɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ (ᴜɴ) ᴅᴇᴄʟᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴇʟꜱᴏɴ ᴍᴀɴᴅᴇʟᴀ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴅᴀy ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴄᴇʟᴇʙʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 18 ᴊᴜʟy ᴇᴠᴇʀy yᴇᴀʀ...
ɪɴ ꜱᴏᴜᴛʜ ᴀꜰʀɪᴄᴀ, ᴍᴀᴅɪʙᴀ (ʜɪꜱ ᴇᴛʜɴɪᴄ ɴᴀᴍᴇ), ᴀꜱ ʜɪ ɪꜱ ꜰᴏɴᴅʟy ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ, ɪꜱ ʀᴇᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ " ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ" ᴏʀ ᴛᴀᴛᴀ...
ᴍᴀᴅɪʙᴀ ʟɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴀᴍᴏɴɢ ᴜꜱ ꜰᴏʀ 95 yᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀʟᴡᴀyꜱ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʀᴏ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀꜱꜱᴇꜱ....

Early Life and Education:

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, a village in South Africa. He belonged to the Thembu royal family of the Xhosa ethnic group. Mandela's father died when he was just nine years old, and he was adopted by the regent of the Thembu people.

Mandela attended a Wesleyan mission school and later enrolled at the University of Fort Hare, where he studied law. However, due to his political activism, he was expelled from the university before completing his degree. Mandela then moved to Johannesburg, where he completed his law degree through correspondence courses.

Anti-Apartheid Activism:

In the 1940s, Mandela became increasingly involved in anti-apartheid activism. He joined the African National Congress (ANC), a political party that aimed to fight against racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa. Mandela strongly opposed the apartheid regime, which enforced a system of racial segregation and denied basic rights to non-white South Africans.

Mandela played a crucial role in organizing nonviolent protests and acts of civil disobedience against apartheid laws. However, as the government increased its repression, Mandela realized that peaceful means alone would not be enough to dismantle apartheid.

Imprisonment and Robben Island:

In 1962, Mandela was arrested and charged with conspiracy to overthrow the government. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and spent the next 27 years behind bars, the majority of which were spent on Robben Island. Despite harsh conditions and isolation, Mandela continued to be a symbol of resistance against apartheid.

During his imprisonment, Mandela became an international icon and his cause gained global attention. His release from prison on February 11, 1990, was celebrated worldwide and marked the beginning of a new era in South Africa's history.

Transition to Democracy:

After his release, Mandela played a pivotal role in negotiating an end to apartheid and the transition to democracy in South Africa. He worked closely with President F.W. de Klerk to dismantle the apartheid system and establish a non-racial, democratic government.

In 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections, and Mandela became the country's first black president. He focused on reconciliation, promoting unity, and addressing the deep-rooted inequalities caused by apartheid.

Legacy:

Nelson Mandela's legacy as a global symbol of peace, justice, and forgiveness is unparalleled. He received numerous awards and honors, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Mandela dedicated his life to fighting for equality and human rights, inspiring people around the world.

Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013, but his principles and teachings continue to resonate today. His commitment to justice, reconciliation, and the pursuit of a better world serves as a reminder of the power of forgiveness and the importance of standing up against injustice.