In South Africa, on May 10, 1994, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was sworn in as the first Black president of South Africa. In his inaugural address, Mandela, who spent 27 years of his life as a political prisoner of the South African government, declared that “the time for the healing of the wounds has come.” Two weeks earlier, more than 22 million South Africans had turned out to cast ballots in the country’s first-ever multiracial parliamentary elections. An overwhelming majority chose Mandela and

On this day in 1964, Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison in South Africa. Discover his early life and see what prompted him to join the African National Congress to fight apartheid. Learn about his 27 years of imprisonment and his work - and legacy - as the first black president of South Africa. | Biography