Mandela Day 2020: Facts to Know About Nelson Mandela, South Africa's Anti-Apartheid Icon, On His 102nd Birth Anniversary

Nelson Mandela, the globally revered anti-apartheid revolutionary, was born on this day - July 18 - in the year 1918. His 102nd birth anniversary would be observed across the world to commemorate the struggle for social justice that stretched for over six decades. The day of his birth is annually observed as "Mandela Day", also referred to as the "International Nelson Mandela Day". Here are some facts to know about the former South African president.

• Mandela was born in the Thembu royal family, went on to study law and work as a lawyer in Johannesburg.
• To protest against the institutional racism, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944.
• Over the next decade, he was actively involved in protests and demonstrations, which led to him being charged for sedition.
• During his stint in and out of the jail, Mandela got influenced by Marxism and joined the South African Communist Party (SACP).
• Mandela briefly shunned the principle of non-violence and co-founded Umkhonto we Sizwe, a militant organisation, along with the SACP.
• For leading a sabotage campaign against the government in 1961, Mandela was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the year 1962.
• Mandela continued his resistance movement from the jail, and also shunned the idea of violence which he had briefly adopted.
• He ideologically linked himself back to the ANC, and guided the party from prison.
• After 27 years of stay in jail, Mandela was released by F. W. de Klerk, who headed the government in 1990 and was the last white President of South Africa.
• In the elections that ensued after his release from prison, Mandela guided the ANC to a victory.
• Mandela led the nation for five years between 1994 and 1999, and subsequently stepped back from active politics.
• In 2004, he retired from public life. His physical condition deteriorated in 2011, and in 2013, he died due to respiratory infection and other age-related ailments.

Mandela's fight for social justice stretched for 67 years, which involved a consecutive stay of 27 years in the prison. His birth anniversary was first observed as Mandela Day by non-governmental organisations in 2009. In November that year, the United Nations announced that Mandela Day would be observed annually on July 18.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 18, 2020 07:29 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).