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Mandela Expelled from College
In 1931, Mandela enrolled in the University of Fort Hare, the only institution offering tertiary education to black South Africans at the time. Here, he became involved in politics. During his time at Fort Hare, Mandela meet his lifelong friend, Oliver Tambo and both lead a student strike against the university authorities. This resulted in the both of them being expelled in 1940. (Exact day and month are unknown) -
Founding the African National Congress Youth League
Two years after joining the African National Congress (ANC), Mandela, together with his friend and partner Oliver Tambo and Walter Sislu, formed the Youth League of the congress. The Youth League pushed opposition of the apartheid system, a system of racial segregation of black Africans in South Africa. In 1952, Mandela was soon arrested, along with 8,500 others, for leading a massive protest of the apartheid system. -
Pan-Africanist Congress is Formed, Challenges ANC
The Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) was founded by Robert Sobukwe, who was once part of the ANC. Due to a lack of consensus on an Africanist debate with the ANC, many people broke away to form the political party. The PAC believed that only black Africans should be permitted in South Africa. Hoping to drive out the ANC, the PAC held many protests against Dutch descended South Africans. -
Killings in Sharpeville Leads to Banning of ANC and PAC
Hoping to cause an uproar in South Africa, the PAC lead a protest in Sharpeville. During the demonstration police opened fire, killing 69 people, wounding 181 and arresting thousands. The Sharpeville shooting caused the South African government to ban black political groups and gatherings. As a result of the ban, the ANC had to meet secretly underground. -
Mandela Establishes the ANC Guerrilla Wing
Mandela and the ANC decided to move from nonviolent to violent means of opposing the apartheid. A military wing was formed, called the Umkhonto weSizwe, or the Spear of the Nation, with Mandela being the commander-in-chief. Mandela worked to train and obtain weapons for the group. However, Mandela did not see combat due to the fact that he went underground for about 17 months, being known as the Black Pimpernel. -
Mandela Sentenced to Life in Prison
After being on the run from about 17 months, Mandela returned to South Africa after a trip abroad. Convicted of leaving the country for illegally and incitement to strike, Mandela was sentenced to 5 years in prison. He was to serve his 5 years in Pretoria Central Prison. -
Government Raid in Rivonia
The police raid a farm in Rivonia, where the A.N.C. had set up its headquarters. They find documents outlining the group’s plan for guerrilla warfare. The government then charges Mr. Mandela and eight co-defendants with sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government. -
Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
Mandela and eight others involved in the ANC were convicted and sentenced to life in prison. The Rivonia trial commenced in October 1963 and Mandela was brought from jail to join the other eight accused. They were being tried for sabotage, conspiracy to overthrow the government by revolution, and assisting an armed invasion of South Africa by foreign troops. -
De Klerk Releases Mandela from Prison
Eight days after legalizing the ANC, President de Klerk announced that Mandela, 71, would be released from prison. Mandela immediately addressed a rally in the center of Cape Town. De Klerk enlisted Mandela over a new constitution. This helped to achieve Mandela's goal, which was to end political domination by the white minority without replacing it with the domination of the black majority. -
Mandela Elected for President
General voting opened in the first election in South African history that included black participation. When the voting concluded, the ANC had won more than 62 percent of the vote, earning 252 of the 400 seats in Parliament's National Assembly. Mandela was elected without president without opposition.
