Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated every year on July 18. To shine light on the legacy of the man who “changed the 20th century and helped shape the 21st”, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). A moment for everyone to renew themselves with the values that inspired Nelson Mandela.
“Absolute determination. A deep commitment to justice, human rights and and fundamental freedoms.”
Nelson Mandela was loved and admired globally. In such a way that the icon is profiled in books and movies. It does not end there, it goes as far as being showered with awards and accolades.
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But even the most public of personalities have little-known facts buried in their biographies.So as Mgosi we would also like to take a moment and commemorate this day by uncovering those details, with the rest of the world.
Here are 10 surprising facts you probably did not know about Nelson Mandela:
Interesting Facts You Did Not Know:
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Mandela’s birth name was Rolihlahla. In his Xhosa tribe, the name means pulling the branch of a tree or troublemaker. The name “Nelson” was given to him by his teacher on his first day of elementary school. However, it is not clear why she chose that particular name. It was in the 1920s when African children were given English names, so colonial masters could pronounce them easily.
- The icon had a part in Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic “Malcolm X.” At the very end of the movie, he plays a teacher reciting Malcolm X’s famous speech to a room full of Soweto school kids. But the peacemaker Mandela wouldn’t say “by any means necessary.”
- From Cape Town to California, streets named after Mandela thrive. He has also been the subject of some rather unusual tributes. Scientists have named a prehistoric woodpecker after him: Australopicus nelsonmandelai. In 1973, the physics institute at Leeds University named a nuclear particle the ‘Mandela particle.’
- Prior to getting spliced with Mandela on his 80th birthday, Graça Machel was married to the Mozambique President Samora Machel. Her marriage to Mandela after her husband’s death means she has been the first lady of two nations.
- When Mandela was eluding authorities during his fight against apartheid. He disguised himself in various ways, including as a chauffeur. The press nicknamed him “the Black Pimpernel” because of his police evasion tactics “I became a creature of the night. I would keep to my hideout during the day, and would emerge to do my work when it became dark,” he says in his biography, “Long Walk to Freedom.”
In the same breath, we hope that everyone will use their Mandela Day not only to celebrate the legend himself. But the day itself, must encourage citizens to spend 67 minutes of their time in service to others in need.
These 67 minutes are “in appreciation of the 67 years that Nelson Mandela spent fighting for justice, equality and human rights for all.”