It is 96 years ago today that Nelson Mandela was born; a revolutionary who would become the face of magnanimity, compassion and wisdom, and “father of the nation” for South Africa.
Google is celebrating the anniversary of Mandela’s birth with an interactive doodle. Starting with an illustration of the former leader, visitors to the site can click through a number of his most well-known quotes, coupled with illustrations depicting stages of his ‘Long Walk to Freedom’.
Mandela was born on the 18 July 1918 and died last year, on the 5 December 2013, after suffering from a pulmonary infection. Politically an African nationalist and democratic socialist, he became involved with the African National Congress, or ANC, and later became its president. He served as president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, following 27 years in prison, charged with convictions of sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the state.
Whilst in prison, Mandela studied law and learnt Afrikaans, in order to be able to speak with the men who were guarding him. Google’s illustration of Mandela’s imprisonment on Robben Island shows him reading, accompanied by the quote: “Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world”.
In 1980, the slogan “Free Mandela!” began to spread, leading the UN Security Council to call for his release. However, South Africa’s cold war allies, including Margaret Thatcher, viewed Mandela as a communist terrorist and opposed his release. It wasn’t until 2008 that ANC members were officially removed from the US terrorism watch list.
