Nelson Mandela

By lindsey4y

  • Rolihala is Born

  • Rolihala begins going to school

    Ben Mbekela, a retired Mfengu teacher, noticed Rolihala's curiostity and intelligence. So, he told Rolihala's parents that their son might have a bright future if he were educated in one of the newly established Methodist schools. No one in his family had ever attended school and he would be the first. He was forced to learn a new language and wear a different attire. Here, he was given the name "Nelson Mandela".

  • Nelson is entrusted to Thembu Regent Jongintaba Dalindyebo

    After the death of Nelson Mandela's father, his mom and him leave their village and he is then entrusted to Thembu Regent Jongintaba Dalindyebo.

  • Undergoes initiation; Attends Clarkebury Boarding Institute in Engcobo

  • Attends Healdtown, the Wesleyan College at Fort Beaufort

  • Enrolls at the University College of Fort Hare, in Alice

  • Expelled from the University College of Fort Hare

  • Escapes an arranged marriage

    He becomes a mine night watchman; Starts articles at the law firm Witkin, Sidelsky & Eidelman

  • Completes BA through the University of South Africa

  • Begins to attend African National Congress meetings informally

  • Graduates with BA from Fort Hare; Enrolls for an LLB at Wits Iniversity

  • Co-founds the ANC Youth League

  • Marries Evelyn Ntoko Mase

    They later have four children: Thembekile (1945); Makaziwe (1947-dies 9 months later); Makgatho (1950); and Makaziwe (1954)

  • Elected national secretary of the ANCYL

  • Elected President of the ANCYL

  • Defiance Campaign begins

    He was arrested and charged for violating the Suppression of Communism Act; elected Transvaal ANC President; convicted with J.S. Moroka, Walter Sisulu, and 17 others under the Suppression of Communism Act; sentenced to nine months imprisonment with hard labour, suspeneded for two years; elected first of ANC deputy presidents; opens South Africa's first black law firm with Oliver Tambo

  • Devises the M-Plan for the ANC's future underground operations

  • Watches as the Congress of the People at Kliptown launches the Freedom Charter

  • Arrested and joins 155 others on trial for Treason

    All are acquitted by March 29, 1961

  • Marries Nomzamo Winnie Madikzela

    They later have 2 daughters: Zenani (1959) and Zindzi (1960)

  • Divorces Evelyn Mase

  • Sharpeville Massacre

  • A state of Emergency is imposed

    He is among the thousands that are detained

  • The ANC is banned

  • Goes underground; Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) is formed

  • Leaves the country for military training and to garner support for the ANC

  • Returns to South Africa

  • Arrested near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal

  • Sentenced to five years in prison for incitement and leaving the country without a passport

  • Sent to Robben Island

  • Returned to Pretoria Local Prison

  • Appears in court for the first time

    becomes known as the Rivonia Trial, with Walter Sisulu, Denis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Lionel 'Rusty' Bernstein, Raymond Mhlaba, James Kantor, Elias Motsoaledi and Andrew Mlangeni

  • Pleads not guilty to sabotage

  • All except Rusty Bernstein and James Kantor are convicted

  • Sentenced to life imprisonment

  • Arrives on Robben Island

  • Thembekile dies

    His oldest son, Thembekile, is killed in a car crash

  • Mr Mandela, Sisulu, Raymond Mhlaba and Andrew Mlangeni and later Ahmed Kathrada are sent to Pollsmoor Prison

  • Rejects South African President PW Botha's offer to release

    Through his daughter, Zindzi, he rejects the President's offer to release him if he renounces violence

  • Admitted to the Volks Hospital for prostate surgery

  • Discharged from Volks Hospital and returned to Pollsmoor Prison

  • Admitted to Tygerberg Hospital where he is diagnosed with Tuberculosis

  • Admitted to Constantiaberg MediClinic

  • Moved to Victor Verster Prison in Paarl

    He was held for 14 months in a cottage at Victor Verster Prison

  • ANC is unbanned

  • Released from prison

  • Elected ANC Deputy President

  • Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

    Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with FW de Klerk, former apartheid leader

  • Votes for the first time in his life

  • Elected by Parliament as first president of a democratic South Africa

  • Nelson Mandela is Sworn into Office

  • Launches his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom

  • Establishes the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund

  • Divorces Winnie Mandela

  • Marries Graça Machel on his 80th birthday

  • Steps down after one term as President

  • establishes the Nelson Mandela Foundation

  • Diagnosed with prostate cancer

  • Establishes the Mandela Rhodes Foundation

  • Announces that he will be stepping down from public life

  • Announces that his son Makgatho had died of AIDS

  • Attends the installation of his grandson Mandla as chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council

  • His great-granddaughter Zenani is killed in a car accident

  • His second book Conversations with Myself is published

  • Is admitted to hospital in Johannesburg

    He was diagnosed with a chest infection and is discharged after two nights

  • Is visited at home by American First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia

  • His book Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations is launched

  • Is officially counted in South Africa’s Census 2011

  • Admitted to hospital for abdominal complaint

  • Discharged from hospital

  • Is admitted to hospital

  • Is discharged from hospital

  • Is admitted to hospital

  • Is discharged from hospital

  • Is admitted to hospital

  • Is discharged from hospital

  • Is admitted to hospital

  • Spends his 95th birthday in hospital

  • Is discharged from hospital

  • Dies

  • Memorial service is held