Jul 18, 2017
Today would have been Nelson Mandela's 99th birthday. In this article from forbes.com we are told of the death of the great man in December 2013. In it we are treated to nineteen of Mandela's most inspirational quotes
Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, Nobel Prize winner and anti-Apartheid icon passed away on Thursday at his home in Johannesburg at the age of 95. By any standard, Madiba, as he was fondly referred to by those who loved him, lived a robust, fulfilling and impactful life. Few people have had as much impact on history as Madiba had. History will remember him as one of the greatest men who ever lived - an incredibly selfless man who made so much of a sacrifice to re-write the history of generations of South Africans and the world.
During his lifetime Mandela inspired us with his numerous words of wisdom, etched in our memories till tomorrow. And his words remain evergreen:
- I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.
- I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
- Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end.
- It always seems impossible until it's done.
- When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.
- Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.
- A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.
- Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.
- Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
- For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
- Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.
- There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.
- Money won't create success, the freedom to make it will.
- We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.
- Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished
- Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.
- I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.
- A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
- When people are determined they can overcome anything.
And this list of 20 things you never knew about the great man from newsone.com
Few lives have been thoroughly chronicled as that of former South African President Nelson Mandela, who died on Thursday at the age of 95.
From his earliest days as a scion of South African royalty to his activism against racism and apartheid in South Africa, Mandela and his heroism has literally created history for more than 75 years. But even international icons such as Mandela have little-known facts in their backgrounds.
Here are 20 facts you may not know about Madiba.
1) Nelson Mandela was born into the royal Thembu family. [Source: About.com]
2) His first treason trial lasted five years from 1956 to 1961. Mandela was found not guilty. [Source: About.com]
RELATED: How Long Was Nelson Mandela In Prison?
3) Though Mandela rejected violence in his later years, he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1961 which bombed government targets. [Source: Encyclopedia Britannica]
4) Most people know Mandela was imprisoned at the Robben Island prison but Mandela was also held at Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison during his 27 year sentence. [Source: CNN.com]
RELATED: Where Was Nelson Mandela Born?
5) Mandela is the only person to ever receive both the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Soviet Order of Lenin and the Nobel Peace Prize. [Source: Wikipedia.com]
6) Mandela’s name, Rolihlahla, means troublemaker. [Source: About.com]
RELATED: Top Ten Nelson Mandela Quotes
7) Mandela’s father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was a local chief in the Transkei region and had four wives. [Source: history.com]
8) Mandela was baptized a Methodist. [Source: Biography.com]
9) Mandela was circumcised at the age of 16 in a ceremony called Dalibunga. [Source: Euronews]
10) Ballroom dancing was among Mandela’s skills. [Source: Google Books]
11) Prior to his death, he was the only living person to be made an honorary Canadian citizen. [Source: Canadian Broadcasting Channel]
RELATED: Who Is Nelson Mandela’s Wife?
12) When Stevie Wonder dedicated to Mandela his 1985 Oscar Award for the song “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” Wonder’s music was banned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation. [Source: Los Angeles Times]
13) In 1998, Mandela married his third wife, Graca Machel, at the age of 80. She was the widow of former Mozambican president and ally on South Africa’s freedom struggle, Samora Michel, who had died 12 years earlier. [Source: The Telegraph]
14) Mandela appeared in the 1992 film “Malcolm X.” [Source: imdb.com]
15) In the days following his release from prison in 1990, Mandela stayed at the home of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. [Source: NPR]
16) President Ronald Reagan considered Mandela a communist terrorist and worked against the African National Congress. [Source: Salon]
17) Mandela’s first son, Thembi, died in a car accident in 1969. [Source: Wikipedia.com]
18) Mandela’s eyesight was permanently damaged from sun glare while being forced to work in prison without sunglasses. [Source: Globalpost.com]
19) In 1953, Mandela and ANC associate, Oliver Tambo, founded the only Black African law firm in South Africa. [Source: Wikipedia.com]
20) Mandela was 9-years-old when his father died of a lung disease. [Source: Biography.com]
Image: The late Nelson Mandela - Wiki
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