Timeline: The Nelson Mandela story EARLY DAYS 18 July 1918 Rolihlahla Mandela is born in a small South African village called Mvezo. 1925 Mandela becomes the first person in his family to go to school. A teacher gives him the name Nelson after having difficulty pronouncing his real name. 1937 Having passed his Junior Certificate in two years at Clarkebury Boarding Institute Mandela joins Healdtown, a college in Fort Beaufort. 1941 Mandela flees to Johannesburg, to avoid an arranged marriage. There he meets Walter Sisulu and begins work at his law firm. 1944 Two years after joining the African National Congress (ANC), Mandela and 60 other young members form the ANC Youth League. 1948 The National Party comes to power on the policy of apartheid. The ANC launch a campaign of passive resistance against the laws. They later begin the Campaign for the Defence of Unjust Laws. 1952 Mandela sets up the country's first black law firm with Oliver Tambo. They provide legal services to those who would have normally had no representation. HOPE FOR AFRICA 1953 The ANC is concerned that it will be banned so Mandela is tasked with ensuring the party can work underground. 1956 Along with 155 others, Mandela is arrested and charged with treason. After a four-year trial, the charges are dropped. 21 March 1960 Police kill 69 people, including women and children, as black people protest in Sharpeville against restrictions on their freedom of movement. A state of emergency is declared, amid fears of retaliation, and the ANC is banned. 1961 The ANC concludes that peaceful protest is not enough to combat apartheid and forms an underground military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation). Mandela, now vice-president of the ANC, is appointed as the group's first leader. ARRESTS AND TRIALS 1962 Having spent a year underground, Mandela is arrested for leaving the country illegally. He is sentenced to five years in jail. 1963 While Mandela is in prison, fellow ANC members are arrested. They are charged with sabotage and treason, along with Mandela. The men appear in court in Rivonia. 12 June 1964 At the end of the eight-month trial, Mandela and seven other defendants are given life sentences and taken to prison on Robben Island. March 1982 Mandela and fellow ANC leaders are transferred to Pollsmoor Prison. WALK TO FREEDOM 11 February 1990 Mandela is freed after 27 years, as a result of a relaxation of apartheid laws and the lifting of the ban on the ANC. He is greeted by large crowds as he and wife Winnie leave the prison grounds. 1991 At the ANC's first national conference in South Africa, Mandela is elected president of the party. 1993 Mandela, along with South African President FW De Klerk, is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to bring stability to South Africa. Accepting the award, Mandela says: "We will do what we can to contribute to the renewal of our world." NEW PRESIDENT 27 April 1994 South Africans, including Nelson Mandela, vote in the country's first democratic election. Mandela, leader of the ANC, is elected as the country's first black president. 10 May 1994 Nelson Mandela addresses the crowds at his inauguration, saying: "Let freedom reign, God bless Africa!" Thabo Mbeki, Mandela's deputy, takes over the day-to-day running of government, leaving Mandela to promote the country around the world. RETURN TO ROBBEN February 1995 To mark the fifth anniversary of his release, Nelson Mandela visits Robben Island, the prison he was held in for 18 years. 1999 Thabo Mbeki takes over from Mandela as president of South Africa and goes on to win the 1999 presidential election. 2001 Mandela is diagnosed with prostate cancer and begins a course of radiation. QUIET LIFE 2004 Announcing his retirement from public life, Mandela says he plans to enjoy a quieter life and spend more time with his family. Joking with reporters, he says: "The appeal therefore is - don't call me, I'll call you." 2007 Despite his retirement, Mandela forms The Elders. The group, which includes Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other statesmen and women, aims to help tackle the world's problems. BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS 2008 Musicians, film stars and politicians join Mandela at a concert in London's Hyde Park to celebrate his 90th birthday. Speaking to the crowd he says "It is time for new hands to lift the burdens, it is in your hands now." Source: BBC