Anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader,
philanthropist, and author, Nelson Mandela was all this and more. He spent 27 years in prison before being elected President of South Africa—the country's first black head of state—and also served as
President of the African National Congress,
banned from 1960 to 1990 by the white South African government.
Nelson Mandela passed away in 2013, but is still held in great respect within South Africa and, indeed, across the world. Revered by millions, and often referred to by his Xhosa clan name, Madiba, remains an icon of democracy and social justice.
Click through this gallery for an appreciation of the life and times of one of the most influential figures in recent history.