Birth:
July 18, 1918, Transkei Region, South Africa
Death:
Early Influences:
- Born into the royal family of the Thembu
- Suspended from college for joining a protest boycott
Education:
- Attended Fort Hare College
- Finished his degree through correspondence
- Law Degree from University of Witwatersrand
Major Accomplishments:
- Established the Youth League of the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944
- Formed the first black law partnership in South Africa in 1952
- Organized the nonviolent Defiance Campaign in 1952
- Created 'Spear of the Nation' (the military wing of the ANC) in 1961
- Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993
- Became President of South Africa in 1994
Significance:
- Arrested in 1964 for sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government - Led to his imprisonment for almost 30 years
- Was the symbol of freedom for many people in South Africa
- Upon his release from prison in 1990, he became a prominent figure in creating the post-apartheid government
Contemporaries:
