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). |
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| 1927 | Entrusted to Paramount Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo. |
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| 1934 | Undergoes initiation; Attends Clarkebury Boarding Institute in Engcobo. |
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| 1937 | Attends Healdtown, the Wesleyan College at Fort Beaufort. |
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| 1939 | Enrols 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; Starts articles at the law firm Witkin, Sidelsky & Eidelman. |
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| 1942 | Completes BA through the University of South Africa (UNISA). |
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| 1942 | Begins to attend African National Congress (ANC) meetings informally. |
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| 1943 | Enrols for an LLB at Wits University. |
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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 by 1961. |
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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 Mr Mandela detained. |
| 1961 | Goes underground; Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) formed. |
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| 1962 | Leaves the country for military training. |
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| August 5 | Arrested near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal; Sentenced to five years for incitement and leaving the country illegally. |
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| 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. |
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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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| 1985 | Rejects South African President PW Botha's offer to release him if he renounces violence; Has prostate surgery. |
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| 1988 | August | Contracts TB and is admitted to Tygerberg Hospital for six weeks. |
| September | Admitted to Constantiaberg MediClinic. |
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| December 9 | Moved to Victor Verster Prison. |
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| 1990 | February 11 | Released. |
| March 2 | 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 9 | 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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| 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 |
