Timeline
To condense all of Mr Nelson Mandela’s achievements into one chronology would be impossible; as a result, we do not claim that our work here is comprehensive. Below you will find a chronology of important events in his life. It is a work in progress and we are happy to receive your comments or additions.
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1918 | July 18 | Born Rolihlahla Mandela at Mvezo in the Transkei |
| 1925 | Attends primary school near Qunu (receives the name ‘Nelson’ from a teacher) | |
| Circa 1927 | Entrusted to Thembu Regent Jongintaba Dalindyebo | |
| 1934 | Undergoes initiation; Attends Clarkebury Boarding Institute in Engcobo | |
| 1937 | Attends Healdtown, the Wesleyan College at Fort Beaufort | |
| 1939 | Enrols at the University College of Fort Hare, in Alice | |
| 1940 | Expelled | |
| 1941 | Escapes an arranged marriage; becomes a mine night watchman; Starts articles at the law firm Witkin, Sidelsky & Eidelman | |
| 1942 | Completes BA through the University of South Africa (UNISA) | |
| 1942 | Begins to attend African National Congress (ANC) meetings informally | |
| 1943 | Graduates with BA from Fort Hare; Enrols for an LLB at Wits University | |
| 1944 | Co-founds the ANC Youth League (ANCYL); marries Evelyn Ntoko Mase – they have four children: Thembekile (1945); Makaziwe (1947 – who dies after nine months); Makgatho (1950); Makaziwe (1954) | |
| 1948 | Elected national secretary of the ANCYL | |
| 1951 | Elected President of the ANCYL | |
| 1952 | Defiance Campaign begins; 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, suspended for two years; Elected first of ANC deputy presidents; Opens South Africa’s first black law firm with Oliver Tambo | |
| 1953 | Devises the M-Plan for the ANC’s future underground operations | |
| 1955 | Watches as the Congress of the People at Kliptown launches the Freedom Charter | |
| 1956 | Arrested and joins 155 others on trial for Treason. All are acquitted by 29 March 1961 | |
| 1958 | Divorces Evelyn Mase; Marries Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela – they have two daughters: Zenani (1959) and Zindzi (1960) | |
| 1960 | March 21 | Sharpeville Massacre |
| March 30 | A State of Emergency imposed and he is among thousands detained | |
| April 8 | The ANC is banned | |
| 1961 | Goes underground; Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) is formed | |
| 1962 | January 11 | Leaves the country for military training and to garner support for the ANC |
| August 5 | Arrested near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal | |
| November 7 | Sentenced to five years in prison for incitement and leaving the country without a passport | |
| 1963 | May 27 | Sent to Robben Island |
| June 12 | Returned to Pretoria Local Prison | |
| October 9 | Appears in court for the first time in what becomes known as the Rivonia Trial | |
| December 3 | Pleads not guilty to sabotage in what becomes known as the Rivonia Trial | |
| 1964 | June 11 | All except Rusty Bernstein and James Kantor are convicted and sentenced (June 12) to life |
| 1969 | July 13 | Thembekile is killed in a car accident |
| 1982 | March 31 | Mr Mandela, Sisulu, Raymond Mhlaba and Andrew Mlangeni and later Ahmed Kathrada are sent to Pollsmoor Prison |
| 1985 | Rejects South African President PW Botha’s offer to release him if he renounces violence | |
| 1985 | November 3 | Has prostate surgery |
| 1988 | August 12 | Admitted to Tygerberg Hospital and is diagnosed with Tuberculosis |
| August 31 | Admitted to Constantiaberg MediClinic | |
| December 7 | Moved to Victor Verster Prison in Paarl where he was held for 14 months in a cottage | |
| 1990 | February 2 | ANC is unbanned |
| 1990 | February 11 | Released |
| March 2 | Elected ANC Deputy President | |
| 1993 | December 10 | Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with FW de Klerk |
| 1994 | April 27 | Votes for the first time in his life |
| May 9 | Elected by Parliament as first president of a democratic South Africa | |
| May 10 | Inaugurated as President of the Republic of South Africa | |
| December 14 | Launches his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom | |
| 1995 | Establishes the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund | |
| 1996 | Divorces Winnie Mandela | |
| 1998 | July 18 | Marries Graça Machel on his 80th birthday |
| 1999 | Steps down after one term as President, establishes the Nelson Mandela Foundation | |
| 2001 | Diagnosed with prostate cancer | |
| 2003 | Establishes the Mandela Rhodes Foundation | |
| 2004 | June 1 | Announces that he will be stepping down from public life |
| 2005 | January 6 | Announces that his eldest son Makgatho had died of AIDS |
| 2007 | Witnesses the installation of his grandson Mandla as chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council | |
| 2008 | July 18 | Turns 90 years old, asks future generations to continue the fight for social justice |
| 2009 | Votes for the fourth time in his life; Attends the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma on May 9 and witnesses Zuma’s first State of the Nation address; Turns 91 | |
| 2010 | Is formally presented with the Fifa World Cup trophy before it embarks on a tour of South Africa | |
| 2010 | June 11 | His great-granddaughter Zenani is killed in a car accident |
| 2010 | June 17 | Attends the funeral of his great-granddaughter Zenani |
| 2010 | July 11 | Makes a surprise appearance at the Final of the Fifa World Cup in Soweto |
| 2010 | July | Celebrates his 92nd birthday at home in Johannesburg with family and friends |
| 2010 | October | His second book Conversations with Myself is published |
| 2010 | November 18 | Meets the South African and American football teams that played in the Mandela Challenge match |
| 2011 | January | Is admitted to hospital in Johannesburg where he was diagnosed with a chest infection. He is discharged after two nights |
| 2011 | May 16 | Votes in the local government elections |
| 2011 | June | His book Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations is published |
| 2011 | June 21 | Is visited at home by American First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia |
| 2011 | July 18 | Celebrates his 93rd birthday with his family in Qunu, Eastern Cape |
| 2011 | October 21 | Is officially counted in South Africa’s Census 2011 |
| 2011 | December | Spends Christmas with family in Qunu |
| 2012 | February 25 | Admitted to hospital for abdominal complaint. Discharged after one night |
| 2012 | July 18 | Celebrates his 94th birthday with his family in Qunu, Eastern Cape |
| December 8 | Is admitted to hospital | |
| December 26 | Is discharged from hospital | |
| 2013 | January 1 | Spends New Year’s Day with members of his family in Johannesburg |
| March 9 – 10 | In hospital | |
| March 27 – April 6 | In hospital | |
| June 8 | Admitted to hospital |