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Short Biography of Nelson Mandela
Date of Birth: Born on
July 18, 1918
Place of Birth : Eastern Cape of South Africa
Parents: Father - Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa
Mother:
Nosekeni Fanny
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1918 |
July 18: Rolihlahla Dalibhunga
Mandela is born a member of the Madiba clan. His
tribal name, "Rolihalah," means "troublemaker." He
is later given his English name, Nelson, by a
teacher at his school
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1919 |
His father is dispossessed of
his land and money on the orders of a white
magistrate |
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1927 |
His father dies. The acting
chief of the Thembu clan, Jongintaba Dalindyebo
becomes his guardian and ensures he receives an
excellent education
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1937 |
Moves to Healdtown attending
the Wesleyan college in Fort Beaufort.
Fort Hare University:
Studied for a B.A. and met his lifelong friend
Oliver Tambo
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1939 |
Asked to leave Fort Hare due
to his involvement in a boycott of the Students'
Representative Council against the university
policies Moves to
Johannesburg to escape an arranged marriage and
experiences the system of apartheid which forbade
the black population to vote, travel without
permission or own land
Worked as a guard at a mine
and then clerk at a law firm
Completed his degree via a
correspondence course at the University of South
Africa
Studies Law at the
University of Witwatersrand whilst living in
Alexandra
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1943 |
Joins the African National
Congress (ANC) as an activist. |
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1944 |
Forms the Youth League of the
ANC with Oliver Tambo and Walter Sislu
Marries his first wife Evelyn
Ntoko Mase. The couple had three children but the
marriage breaks up in 1957
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1948 |
South African government
(Afrikaner-dominated National Party) limits the
freedom of black Africans even more when the
apartheid policy of racial segregation is introduced
across the country
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1952 |
Opens the first black legal
firm in South Africa with fellow lawyer Oliver Tambo
providing free or low-cost legal counsel to many
blacks who would otherwise have been without legal
representation.
Mandela was prominent in the ANC's 1952 Defiance
Campaign
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1955 |
Freedom Charter adopted at the
Congress of the People calling for equal rights and
a program of the anti-apartheid cause
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1956 |
December 5: Accused of
conspiring to overthrow the South African state by
violent means with 155 other political activists and
charged with high treason. The Treason Trial of
1956–61 follows and all were acquitted
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1957 |
His marriage of 13 years to
his first wife Evelyn Ntoko Mase breaks up |
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1958 |
Marries Nomzamo "Winnie"
Madikizela, a social worker, and the couple have two
children. Their marriage ended in separation in
April 1992 and divorce in March 1996
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1959 |
Parliament passes new laws
extending racial segregation by creating separate
homelands for major black groups in South
Africa The ANC loses
most of its financial and militant support when
members break away to form the Pan Africanist
Congress (PAC) under Potlako Leballo and Robert
Sobukwe
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1960 |
Sharpeville Massacre: Police
kill 69 peaceful protestors and the ANC is banned
Mandela goes into hiding and
forms an underground military group with armed
resistance
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1961 |
Issues a call to arms and
becomes the ANC leader of the newly formed
Umkhontoat guerrilla movement at the All-In African
Conference
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1962 |
August 5: Arrested after
living on the run for seventeen months and was
imprisoned in the Johannesburg Fort.
25 October 25: Nelson
Mandela was sentenced to five years in prison but
again goes on the run
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1964 |
June 12: Captured and
convicted of sabotage and treason and sentenced to
life imprisonment at the age of 46, initially on
Robben island where he would be kept for 18 years
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1965 |
Rhodesia gains its
independence and only whites are represented in the
new government |
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1968 |
His mother dies and his eldest
son is killed in a car crash but he not allowed to
attend either of the funerals
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1974 |
Rhodesia expelled from united
nations due to the policy of apartheid |
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1976 |
Over 600 students killed in
protests at Soweto and Sharpeville |
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1977 |
Steve Biko, the leader of the
protests, is killed whilst in police custody. |
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1980 |
The exiled Oliver Tambo
launches an international campaign for the release
of his friend
Zimbabwe gains its independence
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1983 |
The government allows farmers
to re-arm and protect themselves from black
dissidents. |
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1984 |
Governement sources state that
declared that since 1983 black dissidents have
murdered 120, mutilated 25, raped 47 and committed
284 robberies
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1986 |
Sanctions against South
Africa tightened costing millions in revenue |
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1988 |
Amnesty is announced for all
dissidents - 122 surrender. |
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1990 |
February 11: Nelson Mandela is
released from prison after 27 years
President De Klerk lifts
the ban on the African National Congress (ANC)
The ANC and the white National Party begin talks on
forming a multi-racial democracy for South Africa.
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1991 |
Becomes President of the
African National Congress ( ANC )
The International Olympics
Committee lift a 21 year ban on South African
athletes competing in the Olympic Games.
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1992 |
April: Separates from
Winnie Mandela after she is convicted of kidnapping
and being an accessory to assault.
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1993 |
March: Divorces Winnie
Mandela Nelson
Mandela and Mr de Klerk are awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize
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1994 |
April 26: Free Elections where
black South Africans are allowed to vote for the
first time. Nelson Mandela runs for President
The ANC won 252 of the 400
seats in the national assembly
May: Inaugurated as the
first black president of South Africa. He appoints
de Klerk as deputy president and forms as racially
mixed Government of National Unity.
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1995 |
South Africa hosts the 1995
Rugby World Cup and South Africa wins. Nelson
Mandela wears a Springbok shirt when he presents the
trophy to Afrikaner captain Francois Pienaar. This
gesture was seen as a major step in the
reconciliation of white and black South Africans.
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1998 |
Marries Graca Machel, the
widow of the former president of Mozambique, on his
80th birthday.
Tour of Canada
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1999 |
Relinquishes presidency in
favor of Thabo Mbeki, who was nominated ANC
president in 1997.
Toured the world as a
global statesman
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2000 |
Appointed as mediator in the
civil war in Burundi |
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2001 |
Nelson Mandela was diagnosed
and treated for prostate cancer with radiation
Made an honorary Canadian
citizen
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2003 |
Attacked the foreign policy of
the George W. Bush
Later that same year, he lent his support to the
46664 AIDS fundraising campaign. The initiative was
named after his prison number
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2004 |
June: Nelson Mandela announced
that he would be retiring from public life at the
age of 85 July: Flew
to Bangkok to speak at the XV International AIDS
Conference.
23 July: Johannesburg
bestowed its highest honour by granting Nelson
Mandela the freedom of the city
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2005 |
6 January: His son, Makgatho
Mandela died of AIDS |
