13 Facts You May Not Have Known About Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela: The Man Called Madiba Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born July 18, 1918. In November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly declared his birthday "Mandela Day.” It is a day to remember and celebrate Mandela’s contributions to freedom. Mandela’s inauguration as president of South Africa in 1994 was historic for many reasons. He was the first democratically elected president of South Africa. He also was his country's first Black president and, at 75, its oldest president to hold office. Finally, his inauguration united the largest number of heads of state since U.S. President John F. Kennedy's funeral in 1963. Mandela was on the U.S. terror watch list and was not removed until 2008 -- at age 89. He and other members of the African National Congress were placed on the list because of their militant fight against apartheid. There's a woodpecker named after Mandela: In 2012, scientists named a prehistoric woodpecker located in South Africa, Australopicus nelsonmandelai. He also has a nuclear particle named after him; Leeds University in England honored him by naming the Mandela particle in 1973. Mandela influenced popular culture. The fictional grandchildren of Cliff and Clair Huxtable of the popular American television series The Cosby Show were named Winnie and Nelson Tibideau, after Mandela and his former wife, Winnie. Mandela was a master of disguise and a genius at evading arrest. He was dubbed the Black Pimpernel in the early 1960s for his legendary ability to escape capture. He frequently disguised himself as a fieldworker, a chauffeur or a chef. In prison, Mandela was highly skilled at secretly passing notes. During his incarceration on Robben Island (1964-1982), Mandela and the other prisoners would communicate by leaving notes in discarded matchboxes, under piles of dirty dishes and taped in toilet tanks. Using these methods, Mandela and the other prisoners organized a hunger strike and succeeded in their efforts to improve their living conditions. Mandela’s patrilineal great-grandfather was ruler of the Thembu people in South Africa’s modern Eastern Cape Province. His father, who died when Mandela was 12, was a local chief and counselor to the monarchs. He attended Fort Hare Missionary College in the small town of Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa, from 1937-38. He was expelled for organizing a strike against the white rule of the college. Mandela made it a point to always arrive on time. He regarded lack of punctuality as a character flaw. While Mandela was imprisoned, South African President P.W. Botha and the apartheid government offered to release him on six earlier occasions if he would agree to renounce armed struggle, but he rejected each time on principle, saying, "What freedom am I being offered while the organization of the people remains banned? Only free men can negotiate. A prisoner cannot enter into contracts." More than 25 schools, universities and educational institutions have been named after Nelson Mandela in South Africa and worldwide. At least 19 scholarships and foundations bear his name. He was awarded approximately 115 honorary degrees and more than 95 sculptures, statues or pieces of art have been made of him or dedicated to him. He also received more than 695 awards. Mandela has a cameo role in director Spike Lee's film, Malcolm X (1992). Mandela is seen as a teacher reciting one of the civil rights activist's speeches. Mandela declined to say the film's closing words, "by any means necessary," so Lee cut back to footage of Malcolm X expressing the renowned phrase. Famous Quotes “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” -- Long Walk to Freedom, 2012. “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world” -- Lighting Your Way to a Better Future, 1964 "Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end." -- From a letter to Winnie Mandela, written on Robben Island, 1960s. "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead." -- 90th birthday celebration of Walter Sisulu, in Walter Sisulu Hall, Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2008 "Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do." -- From a letter to Makhaya Ntini on his 100th cricket test, 2009

Nelson Mandela: The Man Called Madiba

Related Stories

‘Every Day There Are People Who Want to be Nelson Mandela’: Meghan Markle Slammed by Nelson Mandela’s Grandson After Recounting a Time Her Wedding was Compared to Nelson Mandela’s Release from Prison

Zindzi Mandela, Youngest Daughter of Nelson and Winnie Mandela, Dead at 59

South Africa’s Last White President Sparks Backlash After Suggesting Apartheid Wasn’t a Crime Against Humanity