Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, lawyer, and statesman who became the country’s first democratically elected president in 1994. Imprisoned for 27 years for his resistance to apartheid, Mandela emerged as a global symbol of courage, reconciliation, and justice. His leadership helped guide South Africa through a peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy, leaving an enduring legacy as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century.