Featured moment · World history

Nelson Mandela inaugurated

10 May 1994

After South Africa’s first democratic national elections with universal adult suffrage, Nelson Mandela became the country’s president.

Inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president of South Africa in Pretoria in 1994 — Photograph: Paul Weinberg / Wikimedia Commons. View image, creator and licence on Wikimedia Commons.

What happened?

Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president in Pretoria on 10 May 1994. His election followed negotiations that dismantled apartheid and broadened voting rights.

Why it mattered

The transition marked a historic end to formal apartheid rule and became an international symbol of reconciliation and democratic change.