Nelson Mandela | Death, Facts, Biography, & Apartheid

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border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nelson-Mandela">Nelson Mandela</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela">Introduction & Top Questions</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref282994"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela#ref282994">Early life and work</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref282995"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela#ref282995">Underground activity and the Rivonia Trial</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref282996"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela/Incarceration">Incarceration</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref282997"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela/Incarceration#ref282997">Presidency and retirement</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nelson-Mandela/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Nelson-Mandela">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nelson-Mandela/images-videos">Images & Videos</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/67/75567-050-4EBBE84D/Nelson-Mandela.jpg" data-href="/media/1/361645/73173" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/67/75567-004-A189EC84/Nelson-Mandela.jpg" alt="Nelson Mandela" height="50" /> </a> <a href="/video/Profile-Nelson-Mandela/195316" data-href="/media/1/361645/195316" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <div class="position-relative --aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/179884-138-39F3BBCF/Profile-Nelson-Mandela.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="Nelson Mandela: From shepherd to president" class="col-100" /> <div class="btn btn-sm btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%)"> <em class="material-icons font-14" data-icon="play_arrow" > </em> </div> </div> </a> <a href="/video/south-africa-apartheid/310119" data-href="/media/1/361645/310119" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <div class="position-relative --aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/21/258021-138-7459F165/south-africa-apartheid.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="Video thumbnail image shows Black South African schoolchildren standing behind a fence." class="col-100" /> <div class="btn btn-sm btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%)"> <em class="material-icons font-14" data-icon="play_arrow" > </em> </div> </div> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/90/190090-050-B2A1C384/Nelson-Mandela-prison-Robben-Island-Cape-Town.jpg" data-href="/media/1/361645/209158" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/90/190090-004-A00EA381/Nelson-Mandela-prison-Robben-Island-Cape-Town.jpg" alt="Nelson Mandela" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/97/141497-050-600AC742/cell-replica-Robben-Island-Nelson-Mandela-Museum.jpg" data-href="/media/1/361645/154574" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/97/141497-004-5600B0D7/cell-replica-Robben-Island-Nelson-Mandela-Museum.jpg" alt="Robben Island Prison" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/195354-050-587247E4/Nelson-Mandela-president-honour-African-National-Congress-June-22-1990.jpg" data-href="/media/1/361645/237525" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/195354-004-B8840137/Nelson-Mandela-president-honour-African-National-Congress-June-22-1990.jpg" alt="Nelson Mandela" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/173193-050-639D3239/Nelson-Mandela.jpg" data-href="/media/1/361645/190838" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/173193-004-13B996ED/Nelson-Mandela.jpg" alt="Nelson Mandela" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/96747-050-EDCA51A1/Nelson-Mandela-school-Johannesburg-South-Africa.jpg" data-href="/media/1/361645/91898" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/96747-004-DB13E9AB/Nelson-Mandela-school-Johannesburg-South-Africa.jpg" alt="Nelson Mandela" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/247337-050-D5996AE7/Nobel-Peace-Prize-1993-Nelson-Mandela-FW-de-Klerk.jpg" data-href="/media/1/361645/312109" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/247337-004-1ABDC194/Nobel-Peace-Prize-1993-Nelson-Mandela-FW-de-Klerk.jpg" alt="Nobel Peace Prize winners Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/10112-004-6D62572A/Nelson-Mandela-1990.jpg" data-href="/media/1/361645/12809" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" 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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-23T00:00:00CST" >Nov 23, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nelson-Mandela/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>In full: </dt> <dd>Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Byname: </dt> <dd>Madiba</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>July 18, 1918, Mvezo, <a href="/place/South-Africa">South Africa</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Died: </dt> <dd>December 5, 2013, <a href="/place/Johannesburg-South-Africa">Johannesburg</a> (aged 95)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also Known As: </dt> <dd>Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela</dd> <dd>Madiba Mandela</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Title / Office: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/president-government-official">president (1994-1999)</a>, <a href="/place/South-Africa">South Africa</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Political Affiliation: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/African-National-Congress">African National Congress</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Umkhonto-we-Sizwe">Umkhonto we Sizwe</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Awards And Honors: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Nobel-Prize">Nobel Prize (1993)</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Notable Works: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Dare-Not-Linger-The-Presidential-Years">“Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Long-Walk-to-Freedom">“Long Walk to Freedom”</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Notable Family Members: </dt> <dd>spouse <a href="/biography/Winnie-Madikizela-Mandela">Winnie Madikizela-Mandela</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Nelson-Mandela"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> <button class="facts-list-show-more-btn mt-15 p-0 mx-auto btn font-14 d-block font-weight-normal"> <span class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></span> <span class="show-more-label">Show More</span> </button> </div><script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>When and where was Nelson Mandela born?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, also known as Madiba, was born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, South Africa; the name Nelson was later added by one of his teachers. His father, the chief of the Madiba clan of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Xhosa-language\">Xhosa<\/a>-speaking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Tembu\">Tembu<\/a> people, died when Nelson was still young, and he was raised by Jongintaba, the regent of the Tembu. Although Nelson had a claim to the chieftainship, he renounced it in order to become a lawyer." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>When did Nelson Mandela die?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Nelson Mandela died on December 5, 2013, in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Johannesburg-South-Africa\">Johannesburg<\/a>. He was 95 years old. After his death was announced, his life was remembered and celebrated in South Africa as well as around the world. Numerous memorial services were held, including one by the South African government on December 10. He was laid to rest at Qunu, in South Africa\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Eastern-Cape-province-South-Africa\">Eastern Cape<\/a> province, on December 15." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>What is Nelson Mandela known for?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Nelson Mandela is known for several things, but perhaps he is best known for successfully leading the resistance to South Africa\u2019s policy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/apartheid\">apartheid<\/a> in the 20th century, during which he was infamously incarcerated at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Robben-Island\">Robben Island<\/a> Prison (1964\u201382). He won the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Nobel-Prize\">Nobel Prize<\/a> for Peace in 1993, along with South Africa\u2019s president at the time, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/F-W-de-Klerk\">F.W. de Klerk<\/a>, for having led the transition from apartheid to a multiracial democracy. Mandela is also known for being the first black president of South Africa, serving from 1994 to 1999." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>To whom was Nelson Mandela married?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Nelson Mandela had three wives: Evelyn Ntoko Mase (1944\u201358); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Winnie-Madikizela-Mandela\">Winnie Madikizela-Mandela<\/a> (1958\u201396), who was also a noteworthy anti-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/apartheid\">apartheid<\/a> champion; and Gra\u00E7a Machel (1998\u20132013), who was the widow of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Samora-Machel\">Samora Machel<\/a>, former president of Mozambique (1975\u201386), and was Mandela\u2019s wife at the time of his death in 2013." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>What publications did Nelson Mandela write?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Nelson Mandela\u2019s writings included <em>I Am Prepared to Die<\/em> (1964; rev. ed. 1986); <em>No Easy Walk to Freedom<\/em> (1965; updated ed. 2002); <em>The Struggle Is My Life<\/em> (1978; rev. ed. 1990); <em>In His Own Words<\/em> (2003); and <em>Long Walk to Freedom<\/em> (1994), which chronicles his early life and years in prison. <em>Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years<\/em> (2017), released posthumously, is the unfinished draft of his second volume of memoirs; it was completed by Mandla Langa. " } } ] } </script> <div class="top-questions qa-accordion d-flex flex-column module-spacing"><div class="font-weight-bold font-14 mb-5"> Top Questions </div><div id="intent-accordion" class="md-intent-accordion"><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="1"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>When and where was Nelson Mandela born?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, also known as Madiba, was born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, South Africa; the name Nelson was later added by one of his teachers. His father, the chief of the Madiba clan of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Xhosa-language" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Xhosa</a>-speaking <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tembu" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tembu</a> people, died when Nelson was still young, and he was raised by Jongintaba, the regent of the Tembu. Although Nelson had a claim to the chieftainship, he renounced it in order to become a lawyer.</p><div class="continue-reading"> Read more below: <a href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela#ref282994">Early life and work</a></div></div><div class="connections border-top mt-15"><a href="/topic/Tembu" class="d-flex mt-15">Tembu</a>Read more about the Tembu people.</div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="2"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>When did Nelson Mandela die?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Nelson Mandela died on December 5, 2013, in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Johannesburg-South-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Johannesburg</a>. He was 95 years old. After his death was announced, his life was remembered and celebrated in South Africa as well as around the world. Numerous memorial services were held, including one by the South African government on December 10. He was laid to rest at Qunu, in South Africa’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Eastern-Cape-province-South-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Eastern Cape</a> province, on December 15.</p><div class="continue-reading"> Read more below: <a href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela/Incarceration#ref282997">Presidency and retirement</a></div></div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="3"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>What is Nelson Mandela known for?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Nelson Mandela is known for several things, but perhaps he is best known for successfully leading the resistance to South Africa’s policy of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/apartheid" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">apartheid</a> in the 20th century, during which he was infamously incarcerated at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Robben-Island" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Robben Island</a> Prison (1964–82). He won the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nobel-Prize" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Nobel Prize</a> for Peace in 1993, along with South Africa’s president at the time, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/F-W-de-Klerk" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">F.W. de Klerk</a>, for having led the transition from apartheid to a multiracial democracy. Mandela is also known for being the first black president of South Africa, serving from 1994 to 1999.</p><div class="continue-reading"> Read more below: <a href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela/Incarceration#ref282997">Presidency and retirement</a></div></div><div class="connections border-top mt-15"><a href="/topic/apartheid" class="d-flex mt-15">apartheid</a>Read more about apartheid.</div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="4"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>To whom was Nelson Mandela married?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Nelson Mandela had three wives: Evelyn Ntoko Mase (1944–58); <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Winnie-Madikizela-Mandela" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Winnie Madikizela-Mandela</a> (1958–96), who was also a noteworthy anti-<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/apartheid" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">apartheid</a> champion; and Graça Machel (1998–2013), who was the widow of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samora-Machel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Samora Machel</a>, former president of Mozambique (1975–86), and was Mandela’s wife at the time of his death in 2013.</p><div class="continue-reading"> Read more below: <a href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela#ref282994">Early life and work</a></div></div><div class="connections border-top mt-15"><a href="/biography/Winnie-Madikizela-Mandela" class="d-flex mt-15">Winnie Madikizela-Mandela</a>Read more about Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.</div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="5"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>What publications did Nelson Mandela write?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Nelson Mandela’s writings included <em>I Am Prepared to Die</em> (1964; rev. ed. 1986); <em>No Easy Walk to Freedom</em> (1965; updated ed. 2002); <em>The Struggle Is My Life</em> (1978; rev. ed. 1990); <em>In His Own Words</em> (2003); and <em>Long Walk to Freedom</em> (1994), which chronicles his early life and years in prison. <em>Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years</em> (2017), released posthumously, is the unfinished draft of his second volume of memoirs; it was completed by Mandla Langa. </p><div class="continue-reading"> Read more below: <a href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela/Incarceration#ref282997">Presidency and retirement</a></div></div></div></div><button class="show-more-button js-toggle-top-questions btn btn-unstyled font-14 d-flex pr-10 rounded-sm"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></button></div></div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.newsweek.com/minnesota-teen-buddhist-lama-himalayan-monastery-1987464" rel="nofollow">Minnesota Buddhist Lama Celebrates 18th Birthday Before Himalayan Journey</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 19, 2024, 2:02 AM ET (Newsweek) <button class="btn btn-link d-inline p-0 font-12 js-toggle-recent-news"> <span class="text-gray-500">...</span><span>(Show more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1374332/china-pays-tribute-mandela-old-friend-chinese-people" rel="nofollow">China pays tribute to Mandela, an 'old friend of the Chinese people'</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 9, 2024, 9:06 AM ET (South China Morning Post) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-826746" rel="nofollow">Mandela's grandson denied UK visa over his support for Hamas</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Oct. 30, 2024, 1:51 AM ET (Jerusalem Post) </span> </div> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="195316" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="video" video-id="179884"><a data-id="179884" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/Profile-Nelson-Mandela/-195316"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/179884-138-39F3BBCF/Profile-Nelson-Mandela.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="Nelson Mandela: From shepherd to president" loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/9N7G0jBH.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/84/179884-138-39F3BBCF/Profile-Nelson-Mandela.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/qLIKMGkA", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/pVWJ8avy.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="179884">Nelson Mandela: From shepherd to president</span><span>“In my country we go to prison first and then become President.”</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref162529"></span>Nelson Mandela</strong> (born July 18, 1918, Mvezo, South Africa—died December 5, 2013, Johannesburg) was a Black nationalist and the first Black <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/president-government-official" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">president</a> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">South Africa</a> (1994–99). His negotiations in the early 1990s with South African Pres. <span id="ref632622"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/F-W-de-Klerk" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">F.W. de Klerk</a> helped end the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/nation-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">country’s</a> <span id="ref162531"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/apartheid" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">apartheid</a> system of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/racial-segregation" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">racial segregation</a> and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="ushered" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/ushered" data-type="EB">ushered</a> in a peaceful transition to majority rule. Mandela and de Klerk were jointly awarded the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nobel-Prize" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Nobel Prize</a> for Peace in 1993 for their efforts.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref282994"> <h2 class="h1">Early life and work</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Nelson Mandela was the son of Chief Henry Mandela of the Madiba <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/clan" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">clan</a> of the Xhosa-speaking <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tembu" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tembu</a> people. After his father’s death, young Nelson was raised by Jongintaba, the regent of the Tembu. Nelson renounced his claim to the chieftainship to become a lawyer. He attended South African Native College (later the University of Fort Hare) and studied law at the University of the Witwatersrand; he later passed the qualification exam to become a lawyer. In 1944 he joined the <span id="ref162530"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-National-Congress" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">African National Congress</a> (ANC), a Black-liberation group, and became a leader of its Youth League. That same year he met and married Evelyn Ntoko Mase. Mandela subsequently held other ANC leadership positions, through which he helped revitalize the organization and oppose the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="apartheid" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apartheid" data-type="MW">apartheid</a> policies of the ruling <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Party-political-party-South-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">National Party</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In 1952 in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Johannesburg-South-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Johannesburg</a>, with fellow ANC leader <span id="ref759324"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Oliver-Tambo" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Oliver Tambo</a>, Mandela established South Africa’s first Black law practice, specializing in cases resulting from the post-1948 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/apartheid" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">apartheid</a> legislation. Also that year, Mandela played an important role in launching a campaign of defiance against South Africa’s pass laws, which required nonwhites to carry documents (known as passes, pass books, or reference books) authorizing their presence in areas that the government deemed “restricted” (i.e., generally reserved for the white population). He traveled throughout the country as part of the campaign, trying to build support for nonviolent means of protest against the discriminatory laws. In 1955 he was involved in <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="drafting" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/drafting" data-type="EB">drafting</a> the <span id="ref1200042"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Freedom-Charter" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Freedom Charter</a>, a document calling for nonracial <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-democracy" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">social democracy</a> in South Africa.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="310119" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="video" video-id="258021"><a data-id="258021" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/south-africa-apartheid/-310119"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/21/258021-138-7459F165/south-africa-apartheid.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="Video thumbnail image shows Black South African schoolchildren standing behind a fence." loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/pfB1tc6T.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/21/258021-138-7459F165/south-africa-apartheid.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/Dm7IGiSv.vtt", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/HLqqCnVW.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="258021">How did apartheid change South Africa?</span><span>Three decades after apartheid, South Africa is still considered the most unequal country in the world.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/biography/Nelson-Mandela/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Mandela’s antiapartheid activism made him a frequent target of the authorities. Starting in 1952, he was intermittently <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/banning-South-African-law" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">banned</a> (severely restricted in travel, association, and speech). In December 1956 he was arrested with more than 100 other people on charges of treason that were designed to harass antiapartheid activists. Mandela went on trial that same year and eventually was acquitted in 1961. During the extended court proceedings, he divorced his first wife and married Nomzamo Winifred Madikizela (<span id="ref759325"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Winnie-Madikizela-Mandela" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Winnie Madikizela-Mandela</a>).</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref282995"> <h2 class="h1">Underground activity and the Rivonia Trial</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">After the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="massacre" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/massacre" data-type="EB">massacre</a> of unarmed Black South Africans by police forces at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Sharpeville-massacre" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sharpeville</a> in 1960 and the subsequent banning of the ANC, Mandela abandoned his nonviolent stance and began advocating acts of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/sabotage-subversive-tactic" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">sabotage</a> against the South African regime. He went underground (during which time he became known as the Black Pimpernel for his ability to evade capture) and was one of the founders of <span id="ref1046330"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Umkhonto-we-Sizwe" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Umkhonto we Sizwe</a> (“Spear of the Nation”), the military wing of the ANC. In 1962 he went to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Algeria" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Algeria</a> for training in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/guerrilla-warfare" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">guerrilla warfare</a> and sabotage, returning to South Africa later that year. On August 5, shortly after his return, Mandela was arrested at a road block in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Natal-historical-province-South-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Natal</a>; he was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/heroes-rebels-and-killers" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/01/121101-131-9CE8BDB7/Joan-of-Arc-canvas-oil-Coronation-Charles-1854.jpg" alt="Joan of Arc at the Coronation of King Charles VII at Reims Cathedral, July 1429 by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Oil on canvas, 240 x 178 cm, 1854. In the Louvre Museum, Paris, France." class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Heroes, Rebels, and Killers</div> </div> </a><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="209158" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/90/190090-050-B2A1C384/Nelson-Mandela-prison-Robben-Island-Cape-Town.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/361645/209158"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/90/190090-050-B2A1C384/Nelson-Mandela-prison-Robben-Island-Cape-Town.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/90/190090-050-B2A1C384/Nelson-Mandela-prison-Robben-Island-Cape-Town.jpg?w=300" alt="Nelson Mandela" data-width="1198" data-height="1499" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/90/190090-050-B2A1C384/Nelson-Mandela-prison-Robben-Island-Cape-Town.jpg" data-href="/media/1/361645/209158">Nelson Mandela</a><span>From 1964 to 1982 Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island, off Cape Town.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">In October 1963 the imprisoned Mandela and several other men were tried for sabotage, treason, and violent <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="conspiracy" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspiracy" data-type="MW">conspiracy</a> in the infamous <span id="ref162532"></span>Rivonia Trial, named after a fashionable suburb of Johannesburg where raiding police had discovered quantities of arms and equipment at the headquarters of the underground Umkhonto we Sizwe. Mandela’s speech from the dock, in which he admitted the truth of some of the charges made against him, was a classic defense of liberty and defiance of <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="tyranny" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tyranny" data-type="MW">tyranny</a>. (His speech garnered international attention and acclaim and was published later that year as <em>I Am Prepared to Die</em>.) On June 12, 1964, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, narrowly escaping the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/capital-punishment" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">death penalty</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":2,"pageId":361645,"pageLength":678,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"D","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"BIO_PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Nelson Mandela | Death, Facts, Biography, & Apartheid | Britannica