Nelson Mandela biography timeline

Birth of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

Attends primary school near Qunu.

Teacher Miss Mdingane gives Rolihlahla the name Nelson.

His father dies when Mandela is about twelve.

Becomes a ward of Regent Jongintaba Dalindyebo.

Begins studies at Clarkebury Boarding Institute.

Undergoes traditional initiation into manhood.

Enrolls at Healdtown Wesleyan College.

Continues secondary education at the prominent mission school.

Begins university studies toward a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Enrolls at the University College of Fort Hare.

Is expelled from Fort Hare after a student protest.

Leaves university following conflict over student representation.

Begins a new life in Johannesburg.

Gains his first employment after arriving in Johannesburg.

Begins work as a clerk in a Johannesburg law firm.

Works briefly as a mine security officer.

Leaves the Transkei to avoid an arranged marriage.

Starts practical exposure to the South African legal profession.

Begins attending African National Congress meetings informally.

Finishes his undergraduate degree while living in Johannesburg.

Develops closer involvement with African nationalist politics.

Completes his Bachelor of Arts through UNISA.

Studies law while becoming increasingly active politically.

Enrolls for an LLB degree at Wits University.

Appointed Member of ANC

Helps establish the African National Congress Youth League.

Begins a family while expanding his political involvement.

Marries Evelyn Ntoko Mase.

Supports a more militant programme for African political mobilisation.

Is elected national secretary of the ANC Youth League.

Takes a senior organisational role in the Youth League.

Helps found the ANC Youth League

Appointed President of the ANC Youth League

Is elected president of the ANC Youth League.

Leads the Youth League as mass resistance planning intensifies.

Nelson Mandela and 51 others infringe South Africa curfew

Serves as Volunteer-in-Chief of the Defiance Campaign.

Coordinates nonviolent civil disobedience against apartheid laws.

Receives nine months imprisonment suspended for two years.

Is convicted with other Defiance Campaign leaders.

Given a 9 month suspended sentence & forbidden to leave Johannesburg for 6 months

The firm serves Black clients facing discriminatory laws.

Faces charges under the Suppression of Communism Act.

Appointed Deputy National President of the ANC

Is elected one of the ANC first deputy presidents.

Jointly sets up the 1st black law practice in Johannesburg, Mandela & Tambo

Opens a law practice with Oliver Tambo.

Moves into senior national leadership during the Defiance Campaign.

Combines provincial leadership with national resistance activity.

Is arrested during the Defiance Campaign.

Is elected president of the Transvaal ANC.

Develops the ANC organisational strategy known as the M-Plan.

Plans decentralised structures able to survive government repression.

Decides that there is no alternative to armed & violent resistance

Secretly watches the Congress of the People at Kliptown.

Witnesses adoption of the Freedom Charter.

Is arrested with other anti-apartheid activists for treason.

Joins the mass prosecution that becomes the Treason Trial.

Marries Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela.

Begins a marriage lasting through most of his imprisonment.

Challenges government allegations against Congress Alliance leaders.

Participates as the defence opens its Treason Trial case.

Joins public defiance against the pass system after Sharpeville.

Burns his pass with other ANC leaders in Orlando.

Publicly burns his pass in front of the press

Is detained with thousands of activists during the emergency.

Joins thousands imprisoned following the Sharpeville crisis.

Is detained after the government declares a state of emergency.

Remains imprisoned while Treason Trial proceedings continue.

The ANC is banned until 1990. Membership of the ANC & the PAC is punishable by imprisonment

Mandela 1st gives evidence at his trial

The ANC decides to go underground & dispense with its constitutional procedures

Works within clandestine structures as legal political activity closes.

The ANC decides to go underground & dispense with its constitutional procedures

Helps reorganise ANC activity after the organisation is banned.

Helps found the military wing of the ANC, Umkhonto We Sizwe

Appointed Leader of the ANCs army, Umkhonto Wesizwe, "spear of the nation"

Helps found the military wing of the ANC, Umkhonto We Sizwe

The ANC flees to Mozambique & develops a military wing, Umkhonto We Sizwe

The court rejects the state high treason case.

Is acquitted with the remaining Treason Trial defendants.

Warns of mass action if government refuses negotiations.

Calls for a national convention on South Africa future.

Organises protest demanding a democratic constitutional convention.

Calls for a national stay-at-home against the new republic.

Incites strike action

Threatens a nationwide campaign of non-co-operation. Releases a press release calling for a national constitutional convention

Releases a press release calling for a national constitutional convention

Raises the question of armed struggle with the Working Committee

Raises the question of armed struggle with the National Executive. Authorized by Congress to form a military organisation, separate from the ANC

Begins organising Umkhonto we Sizwe as a separate military structure.

Is asked to lead the ANC newly created armed wing.

Founds Umkhonto we Sizwe, "The Spear of the Nation". Founds the High Command of the Umkhonto we Sizwe

Bombs are exploded at power stations & Government offices by Umkhonto we Sizwe

Mandela helps direct the organisation initial sabotage strategy.

Leaflets are circulated nationally announcing the birth of Umkhonto we Sizwe

Umkhonto we Sizwe publicly announces its existence.

The ANC is banned from South Africa

Uses disguises and secret travel to avoid arrest.

Supports the idea of a national convention

Begins operating clandestinely after the ANC ban.

Supports the idea of a national convention

Begins an international mission on behalf of the liberation movement.

Leaves South Africa secretly for military training and political support.

Builds diplomatic backing for the South African liberation struggle.

Addresses African leaders while seeking support for the ANC.

Resumes underground political and military organisational work.

Returns secretly to South Africa after his African mission.

Is arrested near Howick after months underground.

Arrested by the South African police, described in the press as the "Black Pimpernel"

Police capture the activist known publicly as the Black Pimpernel.

The Conference links the ANC with the MK, the Umkhonto military wing. The ANC holds its 1st annual conference since 1959, in Bechuanaland

Receives five years imprisonment after conviction.

Is sentenced for incitement and leaving South Africa illegally.

Mandela represents himself & has Joe Slovo as a legal adviser. Mandela is convicted of incitement & leaving the country illegally, given 5 yrs

Studies guerrilla tactics before returning to South Africa.

Leaves South Africa illegally to attend the Conference. ANC delegate at the Pan-African Freedom Movement for East, Central & Southern Africa

Receives military training during his African journey.

Mandela represents himself & has Joe Slovo as a legal adviser. Mandela is convicted of incitement & leaving the country illegally, given 5 yrs. The ANC sets up a "Free Nelson Mandela" Committee

Is transferred from Pretoria to Robben Island.

Begins his first period of imprisonment on the island.

Is returned from Robben Island to Pretoria Local Prison.

Remains incarcerated as the Rivonia prosecution develops.

Mandela is sentenced to life imprisonment

Appears with other defendants in the developing Rivonia Trial.

Faces sabotage charges carrying the possibility of a death sentence.

Opening day of the Nelson Mandela trial, the Rivonia Trial. Mandela is indicted with sabotage & conspiracy

Pleads not guilty to sabotage and conspiracy charges.

Rejects the prosecution case during the Rivonia Trial.

Mandela & Sisulu are accused of 222 acts of sabotage

President de Klerk announces his intention to release Nelson Mandela

Defends democracy and explains the turn toward sabotage.

Delivers his famous statement from the dock.

Opening day of Mandellas defence

Yutar sums up the prosections case against Mandela in the Rivonia trial

Is sentenced to life imprisonment after the Rivonia Trial.

Avoids the death penalty but faces indefinite incarceration.

Begins eighteen years of continuous imprisonment on the island.

Returns to Robben Island after receiving a life sentence.

Learns that his eldest son Thembekile has died.

Authorities refuse permission for him to attend the funeral.

Leaves Robben Island after eighteen years of imprisonment.

Is transferred from Robben Island to Pollsmoor Prison.

Nelson Mandela rejects Bothas offer of conditional release

Insists that political rights must precede meaningful personal freedom.

Rejects an offer of freedom conditional on renouncing violence.

Is admitted to hospital for prostate surgery.

Returns to Pollsmoor later in November after treatment.

The Wembley celebrations are broadcast to 1 billion worldwide. 80,000 pack Wembley stadium to celebrate Mandelas 70th birthday

4 Billion tv-viewers watch Mandelas 70th Birthday Tribute

Is hospitalised and diagnosed with tuberculosis.

Receives treatment during a serious decline in prison health.

Spends his final fourteen months of imprisonment there.

Moves to a cottage at Victor Verster Prison.

President de Klerk announces his intention to lift the ANC ban

Released from the Victor Verster prison after 27 years

Mandela is released from prison

Appointed Deputy President of the African National Congress

de Klerk announces the release of Mandela

Declares the Government must remove troops from the townships. Declares the Government must release political prisoners. Declares the Government must lift bans on political parties. Declares the Government must end the State of Emergency

The ANC formulate a "5yr plan" for "group rights". No racial group should have precedence

Declares the Government must lift bans on political parties

The ANC formulate a "5yr plan" for "group rights"

Declares the Government must end the State of Emergency

President de Klerk & Nelson Mandela hold talks

de Klerk announces lifting the 30 yr ANC ban, prohibited since Sharpville in 1960

Mandela is released from prison after 27yrs

Ends more than twenty-seven years of imprisonment.

Walks free from Victor Verster Prison.

Is elected deputy president of the newly unbanned ANC.

Takes a central role in negotiations with the government.

Negotiations between Mandela & de Klerk begin

The ANC announce the suspension of the "armed struggle"

A "national peace accord" is agreed between the Inkatha, ANC & National Party

The ANC rules out any veto for minority groups in a post-apartheid society

The ANC rules out any veto for minority groups in a post-apartheid society

South African troops plunder Mandelas dwelling

ANC leader Nelson Mandela addresses congress

The first national conference of the ANC, since the organisation was banned in 1960, begins in Durban, South Africa, Oliver Tambo, whose health is suffering, hands over the presidency of the ANC to Nelson Mandela

Is elected president of the African National Congress.

Succeeds Oliver Tambo during the first legal national conference.

Calls a conference attended by the Inkatha Freedom Party, the ANC & the National Party

The Bipatong massacre causes the ANC to withdraw from constitutional talks

The Bipatong massacre causes the ANC to withdraw from constitutional talks

The legal system of Apartheid is repealed

The legal system of Apartheid is repealed

The ANC & NP agree on a transistional Government of "National Unity"

Jointly announces the 1st multi racial elections in history for 27 April 94

Is honoured for advancing a peaceful democratic transition.

Receives the Nobel Peace Prize with F W de Klerk.

Mandela & de Klerk agree to a Government of national unity after elections. De Klerk abandons the principle of power sharing & majority rule until 1999

Mandela & de Klerk agree to a Government of national unity after elections

For helping to democratize South Africa

Mandela votes for the 1st time in his life

Casts a ballot for the first time in his life.

Votes during South Africa first democratic national election.

Mandela contests the election as the head of the ANC for the National Assembly

Mandela contests the election as the head of the ANC for the National Assembly

Mandela contests the election as the head of the ANC for the National Assembly

Is elected president by South Africa new National Assembly.

Becomes the first president chosen after universal suffrage.

Appointed President of South Africa by the 1st session of the National Assembly

Appointed President of South Africa by the 1st session of the National Assembly

Begins leading the Government of National Unity.

Inaugurated as President of the Government of National Unity. Announces a "rainbow nation at peace with itself & the world"

Is inaugurated as South Africa first democratically elected president.

The ANC win the 1st non-racial elections, 62% of the vote

Announces an investment of R2.5 billion for the Reconstruction & Development Prog

The ANC win the 1st non-racial elections, 62% of the vote

Appointed Second Vice President of the OAU

Appointed Second Vice President of the OAU

Publishes a personal account of struggle imprisonment and political transition.

Launches his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.

South Africa rejoins the Commonwealth

Mandela dismisses his estranged wife, Winnie, from the Government

The new constitution replaces the interim constitution

Mandela marries Graca Machel on his 80th birthday

Retires as state president

Addresses the International Aids Conference

Death of Makgatho Mandela from AIDS, Nelson Mandelas eldest son

Death of Nelson Mandela