| 1918 |
18 July |
Born at Mvezo in the Transkei |
| 1925 |
|
Attends primary school near Qunu. Teacher wants all children to have a Christian name so gives him the name ‘Nelson’ |
| 1927 |
|
Entrusted to Nkosi Jongintaba Dalindyebo, the acting Regent of the Thembu people at the Great Place at Mqhezweni |
| 1934 |
|
Undergoes initiation; Goes to Clarkebury Boarding Institute in Engcobo |
| 1937 |
|
Goes to Healdtown, the Wesleyan College at Fort Beaufort |
| 1939 |
|
Enrolls at the University College of Fort Hare, in Alice |
| 1940 |
|
Expelled |
| 1941 |
|
Escapes an arranged marriage, becomes a mine night watchman in Johannesburg; Lives in Alexandra. Starts articles at the law firm Witkin, Sidelsky & Eidelman |
| 1942 |
|
Completes BA through the University of South Africa (UNISA). Writes the exams at Fort Hare |
| 1943 |
|
Enrolls for an LLB at Wits University; Graduates with a BA at Fort Hare |
| 1944 |
|
Co-founds the ANC Youth League (ANCYL); Marries Evelyn Ntoko Mase – they have four children: Thembekile (1945); Makaziwe (1947 – who dies after nine months); Makgatho (1950); Makaziwe (1954) |
| 1948 |
|
Elected national secretary of the ANCYL |
| 1951 |
|
Elected President of the ANCYL |
| 1952 |
|
Defiance Campaign begins. Mandela is arrested; Elected Transvaal ANC President; Arrested for violating the Suppression of Communism Act; Opens own law office; Convicted with J S Moroka, Walter Sisulu and 17 others under the Suppression of Communism Act; Sentenced to nine months imprisonment with hard labour, suspended for two years; Qualifies with a diploma allowing him to work as an attorney and is employed by law firm HM Basner; Elected the first of two ANC deputy presidents; Opens South Africa’s first black law firm with Oliver Tambo. |
| 1953 |
|
Devises the M-Plan for the ANC’s future underground operations |
| 1955 |
|
Watches as the Congress of the People at Kliptown launches the Freedom Charter. |
| 1956 |
|
Arrested and joins 155 others on trial for Treason. The trial lasts four-and-a-half years. |
| 1958 |
|
Divorces Evelyn Mase; Marries Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela – they have two daughters: Zenani (1959) and Zindziswa (1960) |
| 1960 |
|
A state of emergency is imposed after the Sharpeville Massacre. Mandela is amongst throusands detained. The ANC is banned. |
| 1961 |
|
Goes underground after he and 29 remaining accused in the Treason Trial are acquitted; Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) formed |
| 1962 |
|
Leaves the country for military training; (5 August): Arrested near Howick; (7 November) Sentenced to five years for incitement and leaving the country illegally |
| 1963 |
May |
Sent to Robben Island; brought back to Pretoria after two weeks; tried in Pretoria, for sabotage with nine other MK members in the Rivonia Trial |
| 1964 |
11 June |
All except Bernstein and Kantor are convicted and sentenced (12 June) to life imprisonment |
| 1969 |
|
Thembekile killed in a car accident |
| 1982 |
|
Mandela, Sisulu, Mhlaba and Mlangeni and later Kathrada sent to Pollsmoor Prison |
| 1985 |
|
Rejects P W Botha offers to release him if he renounces violence; Prostate surgery |
| 1988 |
August |
Contracts TB and is admitted to Tygerberg Hospital for six weeks; (December): Admitted to Constantiaberg MediClinic. December: Moved to Victor Verster Prison |
| 1990 |
11 February |
Released |
| 1991 |
|
Elected ANC President |
| 1993 |
|
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with FW De Klerk |
| 1994 |
27 April |
Votes for the first time in his life; Elected as first president of a democratic South Africa (9 May); Inaugurated as President (10 May) |
| 1995 |
|
Establishes the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund |
| 1996 |
|
Divorces Winnie Mandela |
| 1998 |
18 July |
Marries Graca Machel on his 80th birthday |
| 1999 |
|
Steps down after one term as president; establishes the Nelson Mandela Foundation |
| 2001 |
|
Diagnosed with prostate cancer |
| 2002 |
|
Launches global HIV AIDS campaign 46664 |
| 2003 |
|
Establishment of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation |
| 2004 |
2 June |
Announces that he will be stepping down from public life |
| 2005 |
6 January |
Makgatho dies. Mandela announces that he died of an AIDS-related illness |
| 2006 |
|
Centre of Memory and Dialogue approved as the core work of the Nelson Mandela Foundation |
| 2007 |
|
Grandson Mandlesizwe Mandela invested as Nkosi Zwelivelile of Mvezo; inauguration of the Nelson Mandela Institute for Education and Rural Development |
| 2008 |
|
Turns 90 years old, asks the emerging generation to continue the fight for social justice |
| 2009 |
|
Attends the inauguration of South Africa’s fourth democratically elected president Jacob Zuma; Turns 91; receives copies of the children’s version of his autobiography from his great-grandson Ziyanda Manaway. |
| 2010 |
February |
Attends a reunion gathering at his home in Johannesburg to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his release from prison; (June) attends the funeral of his great-granddaughter Zenani, 13, who was killed in a car accident; (July) makes a surprise appearance of the final match of the Fifa World Cup at Soccer City in Soweto |