South African activist and former president Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) helped end apartheid and was a global advocate for human rights. A member of the African National Congress party starting in the 1940s, he was a leader of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against oppressive white minority rule in a racially divided South Africa. His actions landed him in prison for nearly three decades and made him the face of the anti-apartheid movement both in his country and internationally. Released in 1990, he participated in the eradication of apartheid and in 1994 became South Africa's first black president, forming a multi-ethnic government to oversee the country's transition. After retiring from politics in 1999, he remained a devoted advocate for peace and social justice in his nation and around the world until his death in 2013 at age 95. Advertisement Facebook Twitter Google Childhood and Education of Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela was born on 18 July 1918, into a royal family of the Xhosa-speaking Thembu tribe in the South African village of Mvezo, where his father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa (c. 1880-1928), served as chief. His mother, Nosekeni Fanny, was the third of Mphakanyiswa's four wives, who together bore him nine daughters and four sons. After his father's death in 1927, 9-year-old Mandela, then known by his birth name, Rolihlahla, was adopted by Jongintaba Dalindyebo, a high-ranking Thembu regent who began preparing his young ward for a role in the internal tribal leadership. .Did you know?As a mark of respect, many South Africans referred to Nelson Mandela as Madiba, the name of his Xhosa clan.The first in his family to receive a formal education, Mandela...... middle of paper.. ...4, more than 22 million South Africans turned out to vote in the first multiracial parliamentary elections in the country's history. An overwhelming majority chose the ANC to lead the country, and on 10 May Mandela was sworn in as South Africa's first black president, with de Klerk as his first deputy. human rights and political violations committed by both supporters and opponents of apartheid between 1960 and 1994. He also introduced numerous social and economic programs designed to improve the living standards of South Africa's black population. In 1996, Mandela presided over the promulgation of a new South African constitution, which established a strong central government based on majority rule and prohibited discrimination against minorities, including whites..