Facts About Nelson Mandela's Life
Nelson Mandela is known throughout the world for his leadership skills and tireless efforts to end apartheid in South Africa. He has been given countless awards for his work, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He has received over 50 honorary degrees from universities all over the world. Mandela was the first president of South Africa to be elected in a completely democratic election, and he was also the first black president. He spent 27 years in prison for his anti-apartheid fight, but when he was released, he continued his quest for equality for all the people of South Africa. He has led an interesting life so far, filled with triumph and tragedy.
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Early Years
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Nelson Mandela was born in 1918 in a small village in South Africa and named Rolihlahla. He was the first member of his family to attend school, and in British school he was given the name Nelson. He attended several schools to receive his education, including University College of Fort Hare. He graduated from the University of South Africa with a Bachelor of Arts via correspondence after fleeing to Johannesburg to avoid an arranged marriage.
Political Involvement
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Nelson Mandela began attending meetings of the African National Congress (ANC) in 1942. Mandela's involvement with the ANC included fighting against the elected National Party who believed in apartheid and racial segregation. In 1950, one year after the apartheid rule was implemented, Mandela participated in the the National Day of Protest. He studied law at the University of Witwatersand where he was active in student politics. After graduation from law school, Mandela opened South Africa's first black law firm with Oliver Tambo, a fellow ANC member who he met while studying at Fort Hare. The law firm provided low cost legal representation to the people being discriminated against by the South African government.
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Legal Issues
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Mandela's trouble with the law began in 1953 when the South African government banned him from the ANC and took away his law credentials. In 1956, he was arrested along with 150 other non-violent resistors. They were tried for treason in a trial that went on until 1961, and he was acquitted. After his acquittal and release from prison, Mandela went into hiding and led the ANC in its efforts to sabotage the South African government if apartheid was not stopped. In 1962, after over a year in hiding, Nelson Mandela was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy against his country. He served 27 years in prison, mostly on Robben Island, before his release in 1990. His release was a result of five years of negotiations with the South African government from prison and a 10-year campaign by Mandela's supporters for his release.
Post-Imprisonment
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After his release from prison, Mandela became the leader of the ANC. The ANC won the 1994 presidential election, so Mandela became the first black president of South Africa and served as president until 1999. He published a biography in 1994 called "The Long Walk to Freedom." He retired from politics in 2004, and he now spends his time concentrating on AIDS awareness in remembrance of his son who died from AIDS in 2005. In 2007, he formed a group called The Elders with other world leaders, such as Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter, to discuss and solve world issues.
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References
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