The evolution of Nelson Mandela in Pictures

Mandela married his second wife, social worker Winnie Madikizela, in 1958. At the time, he was an active member of the African National Congress and had begun his lifelong commitment to ending segregation in South Africa.

From left: Patrick Molaoa, Robert Resha and Mandela walk to the courtroom for their treason trial in Johannesburg.

Nelson Mandela speaks outside his former prison cell during a press conference in 2003 on Robben Island, off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. From the mid-1960s through 1991, the island served as a maximum-security prison, mostly housing offenders of political offenses. Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison on Robben Island. From 1964 to 1982, Mandela was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison in the cell shown. In 1990, he was freed.

Mandela stayed in this prison cell on Robben Island.

 

An aerial view shows the entire island, which is approximately 5 square miles (13 square kilometers).

 

The last of the political prisoners on Robben Island were released in 1991, and until 1996 the island was used as a medium-security prison for criminal offenders.

 

On April 27, 1994, a long line of people snake toward a polling station in the black township of Soweto outside of Johannesburg in the nation's first all-race elections.