Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, (born July 18, 1918), was the first democratically elected President of South Africa, having previously been a prominent anti-apartheid activist there. Initially committed to non-violence, he later became involved in the planning of underground armed resistance activities, such as sabotage. Mandela's 27-year imprisonment, much of which he spent in a tiny prison cell on Robben Island, became one of the most widely publicised examples of apartheid's injustices. Upon his release in 1990, the policy of reconciliation he pursued enabled a peaceful transition to a new, democratic South Africa - an enormous achievement which many South Africans believe would have been impossible without his influence.

Orders and decorations

• Nobel Peace Prize (1993)
• Honorary Companion of The Order of Canada
• Order of St. John
• Presidential Medal of Freedom
• Lenin Peace Prize (1962)
• Bharat Ratna (1990)
• Order of Merit (1995)
• Freedom of the City of Johannesburg (2004)

See also the List of awards bestowed on Nelson Mandela.

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