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Today in History: Nelson Mandela Is Elected President of South Africa
05/09/10
On May 9, 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first black president of the nation of South Africa. A longtime leader of the resistance to white minority rule, Mandela was imprisoned from 1962 to 1990 for his political organizing with the African National Congress (ANC). His election marked a major milestone in South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy. Mandela celebrated the important changes that had taken place in his country and pledged to “confer glory and hope to newborn liberty” in his forward-looking, conciliatory inaugural address.
Read NELSON MANDELA’S INAUGURAL ADDRESS