timeline

Born Rolihlahla Mandela at Mvezo in the Transkei

Attends primary school near Qunu (receives the name ‘Nelson’ from a teacher)

Father dies. Entrusted to Thembu Regent Jongintaba Dalindyebo at the age of 12

While his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom places Mandela's father’s death in 1927, historical evidence shows it must have been later, most likely 1930. In fact, the original Long Walk to Freedom manuscript (written on Robben Island) states the year as 1930.

Undergoes initiation; Attends Clarkebury Boarding Institute in Engcobo

Attends Healdtown, the Wesleyan College at Fort Beaufort

Enrols at the University College of Fort Hare, in Alice

Expelled

Escapes an arranged marriage; becomes a mine security officer; starts articles at the law firm Witkin, Sidelsky & Eidelman

Completes BA through the University of South Africa (UNISA)

Begins to attend African National Congress (ANC) meetings informally

Graduates with BA from Fort Hare; Enrols for an LLB at Wits University

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)

Elected national secretary of the ANCYL

Elected President of the ANCYL

Defiance Campaign begins; Arrested and charged for violating the Suppression of Communism Act; Elected Transvaal ANC President; 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; Elected first of ANC deputy presidents; Opens law firm with Oliver Tambo - the only black law firm in Johannesburg in the 1950s

Devises the M-Plan for the ANC’s future underground operations

Watches as the Congress of the People at Kliptown adopts the Freedom Charter

Arrested and later joins 155 others on trial for treason. All are acquitted by 29 March 1961

Divorces Evelyn Mase; Marries Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela – they have two daughters: Zenani (1959) and Zindzi (1960)

Sharpeville Massacre

A State of Emergency is imposed and he is among thousands detained

The ANC is banned

Goes underground; Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) is formed

Leaves the country for military training and to garner support for the ANC

Returns to South Africa

Arrested near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal

Sentenced to five years in prison for incitement and leaving the country without a passport

Sent to Robben Island

12 June

Appears in court for the first time in what becomes known as the Rivonia Trial, with Walter Sisulu, Denis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Lionel 'Rusty' Bernstein, Raymond Mhlaba, James Kantor, Elias Motsoaledi and Andrew Mlangeni

Pleads not guilty to sabotage in the Rivonia Trial

James Kantor discharged and released

Arrives on Robben Island

Thembekile is killed in a car accident

Mandela, Sisulu, Raymond Mhlaba and Andrew Mlangeni and later Ahmed Kathrada are sent to Pollsmoor Prison

Rejects, through his daughter, Zindzi, South African President PW Botha's offer to release him if he renounces violence

Admitted to the Volks Hospital for prostate surgery

Discharged from Volks Hospital and returned to Pollsmoor Prison

Admitted to Tygerberg Hospital where he is diagnosed with tuberculosis

Admitted to Constantiaberg MediClinic

Moved to Victor Verster Prison in Paarl where he is held for 14 months in a cottage

ANC is unbanned

Released

Elected ANC Deputy President

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with President FW de Klerk

Votes for the first time in his life

Elected by Parliament as first president of a democratic South Africa

Inaugurated as President of the Republic of South Africa

14 December

Establishes the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund

Divorces Winnie Mandela

Marries Graça Machel on his 80th birthday

Steps down after one term as President, establishes the Nelson Mandela Foundation

Diagnosed with prostate cancer

Establishes the Mandela Rhodes Foundation

Announces that he will be stepping down from public life

Announces that his eldest son Makgatho had died of AIDS

Attends the installation of his grandson Mandla as chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council

Turns 90 years old

Votes for the fourth time in his life; Attends the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma on 9 May and witnesses Zuma's first State of the Nation address; Turns 91

Formally presented with the Fifa World Cup trophy before it embarks on a tour of South Africa

His great-granddaughter Zenani is killed in a car accident

Attends the funeral of his great-granddaughter Zenani

Makes a surprise appearance at the final of the Fifa World Cup in Soweto

Celebrates his 92nd birthday at home in Johannesburg with family and friends

His second book Conversations with Myself  is published

Meets the South African and American football teams that played in the Nelson Mandela Challenge match

Admitted to hospital in Johannesburg. Discharged after two nights

Votes in the local government elections

His book Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations is launched

Visited at home by American First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia

Celebrates his 93rd birthday with his family in Qunu, Eastern Cape

Officially counted in South Africa’s Census 2011

Spends Christmas with family in Qunu, Transkei

Admitted to hospital

Discharged from hospital 

18 July

8 December

26 December

Spends New Year’s Day with members of his family in Johannesburg

Admitted to hospital

Discharged from hospital

Admitted to hospital

Discharged from hospital

Admitted to hospital

Spends his 95^th birthday in hospital

Discharged from hospital