October 15

Nelson Mandela Receives The Nobel Peace Prize

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 in Mvezo, South Africa. Mandela became South Africa's first Black president on May 10, 1994. In Mandela's speech he said, "Today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by our celebrations in other parts of our country and the world, confer glory and hope to newborn liberty. Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud." As South Africa's oldest elected president at age 75, President Mandela served one term in office. His administration presided over the dismantling of apartheid throughout South Africa. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established under Mandela to investigate human rights and political violations committed between 1960 and 1994. A new constitution for South Africans began during the Mandela administration. He made a commitment to improve the poor economic standards of South Africa's blacks with the enactment of many social and economic programs. Fourteen years after leaving the presidency, Nelson Mandela died in Johannesburg, South Africa on December 5, 2013.