Nelson Mandela was born on 18 July 1918, in Transkei, South Africa. When he was twenty-one he went to university to become a lawyer. He soon became involved in the struggle to make things better for black people. Later he became involved in protests against apartheid. In 1962 he was sent to prison, where he remained for twenty-seven years. He became a symbol of freedom for millions of people around the world. He continued his fight from prison until he was released at the beginning of 1990. In 1994 he became president of South Africa and began working for a better relationship between all of South Africa's different races. In 1999 Mandela gave up his job as president to enjoy the freedom he had fought so hard for.