Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician who became the country's first Black president, serving from 1994 to 1999. Born on July 18, 1918, in the village of Mvezo, South Africa, he belonged to the Thembu royal family and was originally named Rolihlahla Mandela. He studied law and became a lawyer in Johannesburg, where he became involved in African nationalist politics and joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1943, co-founding its Youth League in 1944
. Mandela was a key figure in the struggle against apartheid, the system of racial segregation imposed by South Africa's white minority government. Initially committed to nonviolent protest, he later co-founded the militant group Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1961 to carry out sabotage against the apartheid regime. He was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial, spending 27 years in prison
. Released in 1990 amid growing pressure and fears of civil war, Mandela led negotiations to dismantle apartheid and establish multiracial elections. In 1994, he was elected president in South Africa's first fully representative democratic election. His presidency focused on racial reconciliation, economic reform, and social justice, including the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address past human rights abuses. He declined a second term and retired in 1999, later dedicating himself to charitable causes such as combating poverty and HIV/AIDS
. Mandela is globally revered as an icon of democracy and social justice, receiving over 250 honors including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. In South Africa, he is affectionately known by his clan name "Madiba" and is often called the "Father of the Nation" for his role in leading the peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy
. He passed away on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95
