South African political leader Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918–2013) was a light, a symbol of freedom over apartheid.

Born on this day in a mud hut in the village of Mvezo, South Africa, Mandela was a member of the Madiba clan. His African name, Rolihlahla, ironically means “troublemaker.”

To fight apartheid, Mandela joined the rebel army that sought to overthrow the minority white government. “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society,” he once declared. “If needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Captured in 1962, Mandela was sentenced to life in prison. Jailed for 27 years, he became a global icon of resistance, transformation, and survival.

Mandela and his fellow inmates transformed the prison on Robben Island into “a kind of unofficial university,” explained biographer Anthony Sampson. The hardship forged a statesman—reflective, steady, and wise.

He carried a rare combination of wisdom, strength, and kindness—a soul that endured the unthinkable and still radiated peace. Mandela didn’t just change a country, he changed the emotional temperature of the world.

Released in 1990, Mandela addressed his countrymen by quoting Martin Luther King, Jr.: “We can loudly proclaim from the rooftops—Free at last! Free at last!” He reminded the world that “it is not the individuals that matter, but the collective.”

He was awarded the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize and became South Africa’s president in 1994, guiding the country toward unity, reconciliation, and multi-racial democracy.