Nelson Mandela is best known as the leader of the South African anti-apartheid movement.
As a child Mandela's father was was instrumental in the ascension to the Themby throne of Jongintaba Dalindyebo. His father had four wives and a total of thirteen children (four boys and nine girls). Mandela was born to the third wife. He was the first in his family to attend school and was given the name "Nelson" by a teacher. His father died when he was nine and the Regent, Jongintaba became his guardian.
Mandela became involved in politics at an early age; he advocated against the white minority government's denial of political rights to South Africa's black majority. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Mandela became involved in the ANC's (African National Congress) 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People. He and fellow lawyer, Oliver Tambo, operated a law firm to provide free and low-cost services to blacks without legal representation.
Mandela became a legendary figure in the ANC. From 1864 until 1990, he was imprisoned for advocacy against South African's apartheid. However, his political belief remained strong, and he became a worldwide symbol of resistance to racism, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
In 1995 Mandela released Long Walk to Freedom, his autobiography.
He was elected president of South Africa in 1994 and served until 1999. During his presidency, Mandela won international respect for his advocacy work and international reconciliation. However, many were disappointed with his government's ineffectiveness in dealing with the AIDS crises. After retirement, he admitted this failure, wishing he would have paid more attention to the epidemic.
Mandela has been married three times: once to Evelyn Mase from 1944 until 1957, to Winnie Madikizela from 1958 until 1996, and to Graca Machel in 1998.
Mandela announced his retirement from public life in 2004 at the age of 85. His health was declining and he wanted to spend more time with him family. He remains a figure for educational organizations that hold ideas about international peace, including the United World Colleges and the Round Square. | 
