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Timeline
To condense all of Mr Nelson Mandela's achievements into one chronology would be impossible; as a result, we do not claim that our work here is comprehensive. Below you will find a chronology of important events in his life. It is a work in progress and we are happy to receive your comments or additions.
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1918 | July 18 |
Born Rolihlahla Mandela at Mvezo in the Transkei |
| 1925 |
Attends primary school near Qunu (receives the name ‘Nelson’ from a teacher) |
|
| Circa 1930 |
Entrusted to Thembu Regent Jongintaba Dalindyebo |
|
| 1934 |
Undergoes initiation; Attends Clarkebury Boarding Institute in Engcobo |
|
| 1937 |
Attends Healdtown, the Wesleyan College at Fort Beaufort |
|
| 1939 |
Enrols at the University College of Fort Hare, in Alice |
|
| 1940 |
Expelled |
|
| 1941 |
Escapes an arranged marriage; becomes a mine night watchman; Starts articles at the law firm Witkin, Sidelsky & Eidelman |
|
| 1942 |
Completes BA through the University of South Africa (UNISA) |
|
| 1942 |
Begins to attend African National Congress (ANC) meetings informally |
|
| 1943 |
Graduates with BA from Fort Hare; Enrols for an LLB at Wits University |
|
| 1944 |
Co-founds the ANC Youth League (ANCYL); marries Evelyn Ntoko Mase – they have four children: Thembekile (1945); Makaziwe (1947 – who dies after nine months); Makgatho (1950); Makaziwe (1954) |
|
| 1948 |
Elected national secretary of the ANCYL |
|
| 1951 |
Elected President of the ANCYL |
|
| 1952 |
Defiance Campaign begins; Arrested and charged for violating the Suppression of Communism Act; Elected Transvaal ANC President; Convicted with J.S Moroka, Walter Sisulu and 17 others under the Suppression of Communism Act; Sentenced to nine months imprisonment with hard labour, suspended for two years; Elected first of ANC deputy presidents; Opens South Africa’s first black law firm with Oliver Tambo |
|
| 1953 |
Devises the M-Plan for the ANC’s future underground operations |
|
| 1955 |
Watches as the Congress of the People at Kliptown launches the Freedom Charter |
|
| 1956 |
Arrested and joins 155 others on trial for Treason. All are acquitted by 29 March 1961 |
|
| 1958 |
Divorces Evelyn Mase; Marries Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela – they have two daughters: Zenani (1959) and Zindzi (1960) |
|
| 1960 | March 21 |
Sharpeville Massacre |
| March 30 |
A State of Emergency imposed and he is among thousands detained |
|
| April 8 |
The ANC is banned |
|
| 1961 |
Goes underground; Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) is formed |
|
| 1962 | January 11 |
Leaves the country for military training and to garner support for the ANC |
| July 23 |
Returns to South Africa |
|
| August 5 |
Arrested near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal |
|
| November 7 |
Sentenced to five years in prison for incitement and leaving the country without a passport |
|
| 1963 | May 27 |
Sent to Robben Island |
|
June 12 |
Returned to Pretoria Local Prison | |
| October 9 |
Appears in court for the first time in what becomes known as the Rivonia Trial, with Walter Sisulu, Denis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Lionel 'Rusty' Bernstein, Raymond Mhlaba, James Kantor, Elias Motsoaledi and Andrew Mlangeni |
|
| December 3 |
Pleads not guilty to sabotage in what becomes known as the Rivonia Trial |
|
| 1964 | June 11 |
All except Rusty Bernstein and James Kantor are convicted and sentenced (June 12) to life |
| June 13 |
Arrives on Robben Island |
|
| 1969 | July 13 |
Thembekile is killed in a car accident |
| 1982 | March 31 |
Mr Mandela, Sisulu, Raymond Mhlaba and Andrew Mlangeni and later Ahmed Kathrada are sent to Pollsmoor Prison |
| 1985 | February 10 |
Rejects, through his daughter, Zindzi, South African President PW Botha's offer to release him if he renounces violence |
| 1985 | November 3 |
Admitted to the Volks Hospital for prostate surgery |
| November 23 |
Discharged from Volks Hospital and returned to Pollsmoor Prison |
|
| 1988 | August 12 |
Admitted to Tygerberg Hospital where he is diagnosed with Tuberculosis |
| August 31 |
Admitted to Constantiaberg MediClinic |
|
| December 7 |
Moved to Victor Verster Prison in Paarl where he was held for 14 months in a cottage |
|
| 1990 | February 2 |
ANC is unbanned |
| 1990 | February 11 |
Released |
| March 2 |
Elected ANC Deputy President |
|
| 1993 | December 10 |
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with FW de Klerk |
| 1994 | April 27 |
Votes for the first time in his life |
| May 9 |
Elected by Parliament as first president of a democratic South Africa |
|
| May 10 |
Inaugurated as President of the Republic of South Africa |
|
|
December 14 |
Launches his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom | |
| 1995 |
Establishes the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund |
|
| 1996 |
Divorces Winnie Mandela |
|
| 1998 | July 18 |
Marries Graça Machel on his 80th birthday |
| 1999 |
Steps down after one term as President, establishes the Nelson Mandela Foundation |
|
| 2001 |
Diagnosed with prostate cancer |
|
| 2003 |
Establishes the Mandela Rhodes Foundation |
|
| 2004 | June 1 |
Announces that he will be stepping down from public life |
| 2005 | January 6 |
Announces that his eldest son Makgatho had died of AIDS |
| 2007 | April 13 |
Attends the installation of his grandson Mandla as chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council |
| 2008 | July 18 |
Turns 90 years old, asks future generations to continue the fight for social justice |
| 2009 |
Votes for the fourth time in his life; Attends the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma on May 9 and witnesses Zuma's first State of the Nation address; Turns 91 |
|
| 2010 |
Is formally presented with the Fifa World Cup trophy before it embarks on a tour of South Africa |
|
| 2010 | June 11 |
His great-granddaughter Zenani is killed in a car accident |
| 2010 | June 17 |
Attends the funeral of his great-granddaughter Zenani |
| 2010 | July 11 |
Makes a surprise appearance at the Final of the Fifa World Cup in Soweto |
| 2010 | July |
Celebrates his 92nd birthday at home in Johannesburg with family and friends |
| 2010 | October 12 |
His second book Conversations with Myself is published |
| 2010 | November 18 |
Meets the South African and American football teams that played in the Mandela Challenge match |
| 2011 | January |
Is admitted to hospital in Johannesburg where he was diagnosed with a chest infection. He is discharged after two nights |
| 2011 | May 16 |
Votes in the local government elections |
| 2011 | June 27 |
His book Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations is launched |
| 2011 | June 21 |
Is visited at home by American First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia |
| 2011 | July 18 |
Celebrates his 93rd birthday with his family in Qunu, Eastern Cape |
| 2011 | October 21 |
Is officially counted in South Africa’s Census 2011 |
| 2011 | December 25 |
Spends Christmas with family in Qunu |
| 2012 | February 25 |
Admitted to hospital for abdominal complaint |
| February 26 |
Discharged from hospital |
|
| 2012 |
July 18 |
Celebrates his 94th birthday with his family in Qunu, Eastern Cape |
|
December 8 |
Is admitted to hospital | |
|
December 26 |
Is discharged from hospital | |
| 2013 | January 1 |
Spends New Year’s Day with members of his family in Johannesburg |
| March 9 |
Is admitted to hospital |
|
| March 10 |
Is discharged from hospital |
|
| March 27 |
Is admitted to hospital |
|
| April 6 |
Is discharged from hospital |
|
| June 8 |
Is admitted to hospital |
|
| July 18 |
Spends his 95th birthday in hospital |
|
| September 1 |
Is discharged from hospital |
|
| December 5 | Dies 5th December 2013 |
