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Birth
Born in the tiny village of Mvezo, had a rough start at life but then later everything straightened out. Following the death of his father when Mandela was only 9 years old, he was adopted by Chief Jongintaba and was made to move into the capital. After studying English, Xhosa, history and geography, Mandela developed an interest in African history. (biography.com) -
Peace Conference Opens at Versailies
On this day the United States, France, Great Britain and Italy- the four Allied power met in Versailles. They were there to negotiate a peace treaty with the Central Powers, especially Germany, this negotiation would officially mark the end of the First World War. Excluded from this peace conference until May, Germany finally arrived with a draft of the Versailles Treaty. (Post-World War) -
Peace Treaty of Versailles is signed
The treaty "required them to forfeit a great deal of territory and pay reparations.Even worse, the infamous Article 231 forced Germany to accept sole blame for the war"( post-World War peace).This treaty angered the Germans but the "The Versailles Treaty was signed on June 28, 1919 five years to the day after a Serbian assassin took the life of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, sparking the conflict that cost tens of millions of lives."(Glass).The signing marked the end of the conference. -
Leopold & Loeb
Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb are sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnap-slaying of Loeb's cousin 14-year-old Bobby Frank. Meeting in their elite prep school in Chicago Leopold and Loeb became friends and later lovers. The two were both obsessed wit commiting the "perfect murder". Spending months thinking, they planned to kidnap a child and demand for a 10k ransom. However they were suspected and later confessed to the crimes (Baatz) -
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Actively joins ANC
Mandela becomes actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement called the ANC. The ANC (African National Congress) was established in January of 1912 to give a voice to the minorities of South Africa. Mandela believed in peaceful, nonviolent acts of defiance which complied with the ANC's methods of boycotting, strikes, civil disobedience and non-cooperation (biology.com). -
Law Practice
Founded in 1952, Mandela and Tambo was a South African law firm established by Mandela and his best friend Oliver Tambo.Located in Johannesburg, the law firm offered free and low-cost legal counsel to unrepresented blacks. Both Tambo and Mandela were apart of the ANC and had worked together before. Mandela earned his Bachelor of Law degree through a University of London, while in prison. -
Actively joins ANC Continued
Mandela's "task was to inspire people with confidence in the ability to overcome oppression through a direct non-violent challenge to the government (Benson 44) -
Law Practice Continued
"News of the duo’s selfless plight to protect the oppressed from the iron fists of injustice and the tyrannies of apartheid spread rapidly, and the pair’s busy practice provided a scintilla of hope in a time of escalating hardship"( Mandela & Tambo). But the legal practice had to be abandoned when Tambo and Mandela got arrested in 1956 for high treason. -
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson becomes the 1st African American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera (kids.kiddle.co). Know around the world, the Met is "distinguished for the outstanding singers it has attracted since its opening performance (Gounod’s Faust) on October 22, 1883" ( Metropolitan Opera). Anderson received a standing ovation by the audience before she even began to sing her role of Ulrica in Verdi's Un ballo (Marian Anderson). -
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Prison
Mandela spent 27 years in prison. At first Mandela was against violence but then he began to believe that armed struggles was the only way for change. In 1961, he orchestrated a three day national worker's strike. He was arrested for leading the strike and spent 5 years in prison. Mandela was brought to trial again and he and 1o other ANC leaders were sentenced to life imprisonment. (biography.com) -
Marriage to Winnie Medikizela
After his divorce from his first wife Evelyn Ntoko Mase, Mandela married Winnie Medikizela. The couple had two very successful daughters Zenani and Zindziswa.(biography.com) Winnie was not only Mandela's wife, she herself was a very accomplished women. "Winnie excelled in her studies and became her country's first black social worker"(Harrison). Even though Medikizela and Mandela were married for 26 years most of their marriage was spent with Nelson behind bars. -
Marriage to Winnie Medikizela Continued
"Since his arrest in 1962, they have been apart for 23 of their 26 years of marriage, and she has herself became a leading force in the effort and reforms of South Africa society. She has undergone countless arrests, bannings and detentions and has served turns in prison, including seventeen months in solitary confinement" (Harrison 1). -
Sentenced Continued
continually risking detention and arrest'.He said it was infinitely more difficult than serving a prison sentence"(Benson 97). -
Sentenced
One of 156 political activist charged with high treason for a campaign that lead to the adoption of The Charter in 1955. But Mandela was only acquitted on the 25th of March in 1961.(golegal). In the story by Mary Benson it says, "His family life -already much reduced would have to be sacrificed , his legal practice abandoned.He must, as he later told the court in 1962, 'take up the life of a man haunted continuously by police, living separated from those closest to him, ... -
The Berlin Wall comes down Continued
As the Cold War ceased, the spokesmen for East Berlin's communist party announced that citizens of the GDR were free to cross the country's boarders. Over 2 million people visited that wall that weekend. "People used hammers and picks to knock away chunks of the wall- they became known as “mauerspechte,” or “wall woodpeckers”—while cranes and bulldozers pulled down section after section. Soon the wall was gone and Berlin was united for the first time since 1945."( HISTORY A&E) -
The Berlin Wall comes down
On August 13, 1961 East Germany ''began to build a barbed wire and concrete “Antifascistischer Schutzwall,” or “antifascist bulwark,” between East and West Berlin''( HISTORY A&E) During the Cold War many East Germans wanted to flee to the west. Because of this "the Communist East German authorities built a wall that totally encircled West Berlin"(The Berlin). In, all at least 171 people died trying to get over the wall and more than 5,000 East Germans managed to cross the boarder. -
Released from prison
President P.W. Botha offered a deal to Mandela. If he renounced the armed struggle he would be released.But Mandela rejected the offers. Several more offers were made by with the government because of international and local pressure but no deal was made. Mandela's release was finally announced by Frederik Willem de Klerk, the president of South Africa after the death of Botha. De Klerk also unbanned the ANC, removed restrictions on political groups and suspended executions (biography.com) -
Nobel Peace Prize
Because of their efforts to dismantle South Africa's apartheid system, Mandela and South African President F.W. de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. A Nobel Peace Prize is an honorable award, not many get one. Only 99 people in the world have been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize and Mandela was one of them. Looking at all that Mandela did for his country, there is no surprise that he had won.He revitalized his country, ending the apartheid and racial division in South Africa (Noble). -
Presidency Continued
Because of the distrust the black South Africans had for the government, Mandela wanted to establish a government based on the majority vote of the people as well as guaranteeing both the rights of minorities and the freedom of expression. (biography.com) -
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Presidency
Throughout Mandela's presidency he worked on bringing out the transition from minority rule and apartheid to black majority rule. Mandela used sports to encourage reconciliation between the white and black South Africans. As well as working on the division of the country, Mandela worked on the country's economy. The South African government funded the creation of jobs, housing and basic health care through his Reconstruction and Development Plan. -
Retirement
Mandela stepped down from presidency after just one term, he had retired from active politics. However he did continue to give back to his community. He raised money to build new school and clinics in South Africa and he served as a mediator in Burundi's civil war. Finally in June Mandela formally announced his retirement from public life and he returned to his village of Qunu. He remained out of the public eye for years only choosing to come out during special occasions (biology.com). -
Barack Obama wins presidency
On November 4th, 2008 , "Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, sweeping away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease as the country chose him as its first black chief executive"(Nagourney). After beating Senator John McCain, Barack officially was sworn in on January 20th, 2009. After his inauguration Mr.Obama stayed in office for 8 years, serving two terms (Nagourney). -
Death
After suffering many health scares since 2011, Mandela has been in and out of the hospital due to testing and treatment relating to jis recurrent lung infection. His wife Graca Machel and Zenani Dlamini stayed by his side during his last days. South Africa's president Jacob Zuma released a statement, "Wherever we are in the country, wherever we are in the world, let us reaffirm his vision of a society ... in which none is exploited, oppressed or dispossessed by another,". (biology.com)
