Nelson Mandela was an influential African leader celebrated for his fight against apartheid in South Africa. His activism began in the 1940s, and he became a prominent figure in the African National Congress (ANC). Following his imprisonment for 27 years, Mandela was released in 1990 and went on to negotiate the end of apartheid, leading to South Africa's first multiracial elections in 1994. As the country's first Black president, Mandela became a global symbol of peace and reconciliation, inspiring freedom movements worldwide.