1949 Mandela among leaders of ANC
Radical young members, including Nelson Mandela, take control of the ANC

1960 Nelson Mandela in armed struggle
Nelson Mandela leads a new armed section of the ANC (African National Congress), formed in response to Sharpeville

1961 ANC adopts guerrilla tactics
Nelson Mandela and the ANC adopt guerrilla tactics against the apartheid regime in South Africa

1964 Mandela given life sentence
Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life imprisonment and is sent to a gaol on Robben Island

1990 Mandela released from gaol
Nelson Mandela is given an ecstatic reception on his release after twenty-six years in prison on Robben Island, near Cape Town

1993 Peace prize for Mandela and de Klerk
Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their partnership in South Africa

1994 Mandela is president
Nelson Mandela is sworn in as the first president of the new democratic South Africa

1999 Mbeki follows Mandela as president
Nelson Mandela retires from active politics and is succeeded by Thabo Mbeki as South Africa's president

2013 December 5 Nelson Mandela dies
Nelson Mandela dies in Johannesburg, triggering a flood of admiring and affectionate tributes all round the world