Mandela Elected President
Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first democratically elected president
May 10, 1994
From Prison to the Presidency
On May 10, 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa's first Black president, completing one of the most extraordinary journeys in political history. Just four years earlier, he had been a prisoner, locked up on Robben Island for 27 years for his role in fighting the apartheid government. His election was the direct result of South Africa's first fully democratic elections, held on April 27, 1994 — a day when millions of Black South Africans voted for the first time in their lives. Mandela was 75 years old when he took the oath of office, but he appeared full of energy and resolve.
A Man Who Chose Forgiveness
What made Mandela's presidency remarkable was not just his rise to power, but the spirit in which he exercised it. Rather than seeking revenge for apartheid's brutality, he called for national reconciliation. He invited his former jailer to his inauguration as a personal guest. He championed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which allowed victims to tell their stories and offered amnesty to those who confessed their crimes. Mandela wore the jersey of the South African rugby team — a sport associated with white Afrikaners — at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, a gesture that brought the country together in a powerful way.
His Legacy
Mandela served one term as president, stepping down in 1999 as he had promised. He spent his later years focused on issues like HIV/AIDS prevention and children's education. He died in December 2013 at the age of 95. Leaders from around the world gathered in Johannesburg to pay tribute. Mandela is remembered not just as a political leader, but as a moral example — someone who endured enormous suffering and emerged without bitterness. His life showed that courage, patience, and forgiveness can change history. His story remains one of the most inspiring of the 20th century. See how long ago he was elected using the age calculator.