1918-born at Qunu near Umtata
1952-opened the first black law firm in South Africa
1944- helped found the ANC Youth League 
1952- was instrumental in pushing the ANC into more direct action
1962- arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in the notorious Robben Island prison
1990-release from prison
1994-inaugurated as the first democratically elected State President of South Africa
1993-was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize