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 |
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| 1918 | July 18 | Born at Mvezo in the Transkei. |
| 1925 | Attends primary school near Qunu (teacher can’t pronounce Rolihlahla so names him ‘Nelson’). |
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| 1927 | Entrusted to Paramount Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo. |
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| 1934 | Undergoes initiation; Goes to Clarkebury Boarding Institute in Engcobo. |
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| 1937 | Goes to Healdtown, the Wesleyan College at Fort Beaufort. |
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| 1939 | Enrolls at the University College of Fort Hare, in Alice. |
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| 1940 | Expelled. |
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| 1941 | Escapes an arranged marriage, becomes a mine night watchman in Johannesburg; lives in Alexandra. Starts articles at the law firm Witkin, Sidelsky & Eidelman. |
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| 1942 | Completes BA through UNISA. |
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| 1943 | Enrolls for an LLB at Wits University; joins ANC. |
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| 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) . |
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| 1948 | Elected national secretary of the ANCYL. |
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| 1951 | Elected President of the ANCYL. |
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| 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. |
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| 1953 | Devises the M-Plan for the ANC’s future underground operations. |
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| 1955 | Watches as the Congress of the People at Kliptown launches the Freedom Charter. |
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| 1956 | Arrested and joins 155 others on trial for treason. All are acquitted. |
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| 1958 | Divorces Evelyn Mase; marries Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela – they have two daughters: Zenani (1959) and Zindziswa (1960). |
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| 1960 | March 30 | The ANC is banned, a State of Emergency imposed and Mandela detained. |
| 1961 | Goes underground; Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) formed. |
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| 1962 | Leaves the country for military training. |
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| August 05 | Arrested near Howick; sentenced to five years for incitement and leaving the country illegally. |
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| 1963 | May | Sent to Robben Island; tried in Pretoria, for sabotage with nine other MK members. |
| 1964 | June | All except Rusty Bernstein and JamesKantor are convicted and sentenced to life . |
| 1969 | Thembekile is killed in a car accident. |
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| 1982 | Mr Mandela, Sisulu, Raymond Mhlaba and Andrew Mlangeni and later Ahmed Kathrada are sent to Pollsmoor Prison. |
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| January 31 | Rejects P W Botha offers to release him if he renounces violence; prostate surgery. |
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| 1988 | August | Contracts TB and is admitted to Tygerberg Hospital for six weeks. |
| December | Admitted to Constantiaberg MediClinic. |
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| December 09 | Moved to Victor Verster Prison. |
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| 1990 | February 11 | Released. |
| March 02 | Elected ANC Deputy President. |
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| 1993 | Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with FW De Klerk. |
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| 1994 | April 27 | Votes for the first time in his life. |
| May 09 | Elected as first president of a democratic South Africa. |
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| May 10 | Inaugurated as President. |
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| 1996 | Divorces Winnie Mandela. |
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| 1998 | July 18 | Marries Graça Machel on his 80th birthday. |
| 1999 | Steps down after one term as president. |
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| 2001 | Diagnosed with prostate cancer. |
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| 2002 | Launches global HIV/AIDS campaign 46664. |
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| 2003 | Establishment of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation. |
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| 2004 | June 02 | Announces that he will be stepping down from public life. |
| 2005 | January 06 | Makgatho dies. Mr Mandela announces that he died of AIDS complications. |
| July | Launches a comic series on his life and quips: “You know you are famous the day you discover you have become a comic character.” |
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| 2006 | Centre of Memory and Dialogue approved as the core work of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. | |
| 2007 | Eldest grandson Mandlesizwe Mandela invested as Nkosi Zwelivelile of Mvezo; inauguration of the Nelson Mandela Institute for Education and Rural Development. | |
| 2008 | Turns 90 years old, asks the emerging generation to continue the fight for social justice. |