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 both a brief chronology of important events in his life, and a more detailed version. Both are works in progress and we are happy to receive your comments or additions to them.

Year Date Event
1918 July 18

Born at Mvezo in the Transkei.

1925  

Attends primary school near Qunu (receives the name ‘Nelson’ from a teacher).

1927  

Entrusted to Paramount Chief 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  

Enrols for an LLB at Wits University.

1944  

Co-founds the ANC Youth League (ANCYL); marries Evelyn Ntoko Mase – they have four children: Thembekile (1946); Makaziwe (1947 – who dies after nine months); Makgatho (1951) and Makaziwe (1954).

1948  

Elected national secretary of the ANCYL.

1951  

Elected President of the ANCYL.

1952  

Defiance Campaign begins; Mr Mandela is arrested; Elected Transvaal ANC President; Arrested for violating the Suppression of Communism Act; Opens own law office; Convicted with JS 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 1961.

1958  

Divorces Evelyn Mase; marries Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela – they have two daughters: Zenani (1959) and Zindziswa (1960).

1960 March 30

The ANC is banned, a State of Emergency imposed and Mr Mandela detained.

1961  

Goes underground; Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) formed.

1962  

Leaves the country for military training.

  August 5

Arrested near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal; Sentenced to five years for incitement and leaving the country illegally.

1963 May

Sent to Robben Island; Returned to Pretoria for the Rivonia sabotage trial with nine others.

1964 June 11

All except Rusty Bernstein and James Kantor are convicted and sentenced (June 12) to life.

1969  

Thembekile is killed in a car accident.

1982  

Mr Mandela, Sisulu, Raymond Mhlaba and Andrew Mlangeni and later Ahmed Kathrada are sent to Pollsmoor Prison.

1985  

Rejects South African President PW Botha's offer to release him if he renounces violence; Has prostate surgery.

1988 August

Contracts TB and is admitted to Tygerberg Hospital for six weeks.

  September

Admitted to Constantiaberg MediClinic.

  December 9

Moved to Victor Verster Prison.

1990 February 11

Released.

  March 2

Elected ANC Deputy President.

1993  

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with FW de Klerk.

1994 April 27

Votes for the first time in his life.

  May 9

Elected as first president of a democratic South Africa.

  May 10

Inaugurated as President.

1996  

Divorces Winnie Mandela.

1998 July 18

Marries Graça Machel on his 80th birthday.

1999  

Steps down after one term as president.

2001  

Diagnosed with prostate cancer.

2004 June 2

Announces that he will be stepping down from public life.

2005 January 6

Makgatho dies. Mr Mandela announces that his eldest son died of AIDS complications.

2007  

Witnesses the installation of his grandson, Mandla, as chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council.

2008  

Turns 90 years old, asks the emerging generation 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  

(February) Attends a reunion gathering at his home in Johannesburg to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his release from prison; (June) attends the funeral of his great-granddaughter Zenani, 13, who was killed in a car accident; (July) makes a surprise appearance of the final match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ at Soccer City in Soweto

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