Nelson mandela pictures young and old

QUNU, South Africa— Nelson Mandela was South Africa&#;s first democratically elected President, taking office in Mandela was a political activist who campaigned for most of his life to end apartheid in South Africa and ended up changing the political and racial climate of his nation.

But there was a long road of suffering for Mandela before this huge accomplishment: he was in prison for a large portion of his adult life and faced severe opposition when trying to end apartheid. His experiences as a child and young adult ended up influencing his later accomplishments. Here are some images of the young Nelson Mandela&#;the boy who would turn into one of the most influential and important men in modern history.

Childhood

Nelson Mandela was born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, in Qunu, South Africa.

Young Nelson Mandela royalty-free images - Shutterstock

His father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was a chief and therefore Mandela was part of the Thembu royalty. Mandela&#;s father was a polygamist with four wives and thirteen children. Many of Ma