Nelson Mandela was a South African lawyer, anti-apartheid leader, political prisoner, and the country's first democratically elected president. After 27 years in prison, he helped negotiate the transition from apartheid to constitutional democracy while insisting that reconciliation must coexist with justice and human dignity.
Key Facts
Sentenced to life imprisonment at the Rivonia Trial in 1964
Spent 27 years imprisoned, including 18 years on Robben Island
Shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with F. W. de Klerk
Served as South Africa's president from 1994 to 1999