#8: Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)
Born in 1918 in South Africa, Nelson Mandela was a lawyer who became one of the most prominent voices against the country’s system of racial segregation, known as apartheid. He initially worked through peaceful protest and legal advocacy before joining the African National Congress and supporting more direct forms of resistance. In 1962, he was arrested and later sentenced to life in prison, spending 27 years incarcerated, much of it on Robben Island. Released in 1990 amid growing international pressure, he quickly returned to political life. In 1994, he was elected president in South Africa’s first fully inclusive vote, leading efforts to rebuild a fractured nation and promote reconciliation over division.
