He came out of prison more powerful than he went in.

Free at Last: Mandela Walks Out After 27 Years

South Africa's most famous prisoner becomes the symbol of reconciliation

Nelson Mandela walked free on February 11, 1990 after 27 years in prison, going on to lead South Africa's peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy.

On February 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela walked out of Victor Verster Prison in Paarl, South Africa. He raised his fist in greeting and took his wife Winnie's hand. He was 71 years old. He had been imprisoned for 27 years — longer than many of the people welcoming him had been alive.

Mandela had been convicted in 1964 of sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the apartheid government — charges that could have carried the death penalty. Instead, he received life imprisonment on Robben Island, where for 18 years he broke rocks in a quarry. The physical labor was designed to break men; instead, Mandela used the island to organize, educate, and shape a generation of anti-apartheid activists.

By the late 1980s, international sanctions, growing internal resistance, and economic pressure had made apartheid untenable. President F.W. de Klerk — recognizing that the system was doomed — announced Mandela's release and the unbanning of the African National Congress.

Mandela's release was only the beginning. The negotiations that followed, between a man who had been imprisoned and the government that had imprisoned him, produced a miracle: a peaceful transition to majority rule. In 1994, Mandela w…

💡 Mandela received 250 honorary degrees from universities around the world — one of the most awarded people in history.