Nelson Mandela will forever be remembered for the key role he played in dismantling South Africa’s system of racial apartheid. The activist and politician, who died on Dec. 5, 2013, at the age of 95, became an international symbol of peace and tolerance.

While Mandela is a household name across the globe and hes been immortalized in motion pictures documentaries and books, many aspects of his life aren’t particularly well known to the American public.

This list of interesting facts about Mandela’s life help to illuminate Mandela, the man. Discover the impact his father’s death from lung cancer had on him as a youth or why Mandela, a good student in spite of his humble origins, was expelled from university.

Born July 18, 1918, Mandela’s birth name was Rolihlahla Mandela. According to Biography.com, “Rolihlahla” is often translated as “troublemaker” in the Xhosa language, but strictly translated, the word means “pulling the branch of a tree.” In grade school, a teacher gave Mandela the Western first name of “Nelson.”

Mandela reportedly received at least three offers to be set free from prison. However, he declined each time because he was offered his freedom on the condition that he reject his earlier activism in some way.

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