List of awards and honours received by Nelson Mandela facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Nelson Mandela OMP SBG SBS CLS DMG MMS MMB GCFR NPk OM RSerafO CC AC GCStJ OJ QC GCIH
Born	Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-07-18)18 July 1918 Mvezo, Union of South Africa
Died	5 December 2013(2013-12-05) (aged 95) Johannesburg, South Africa
Resting place	Qunu, Eastern Cape
Nationality	South African
Known for	Anti-Apartheid Movement
Notable work	Long Walk to Freedom
Political party	African National Congress

Nelson Mandela was a very important leader in South Africa. He is famous for fighting against apartheid, which was a system of unfair rules that separated people based on their race. He spent many years in prison for his fight against these rules.

After he was released, he helped South Africa become a fair and equal country where everyone could vote. He later became the first black President of South Africa. People often call him Madiba, which is a special name from his clan. He received over 260 awards during his life, including the famous Nobel Peace Prize.

Who Was Nelson Mandela?

Nelson Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 in a small village called Mvezo in South Africa. His birth name was Rolihlahla, but he was given the name Nelson by a teacher at school. He grew up in a time when black people in South Africa were treated very unfairly.

Fighting for Fairness

As a young man, Nelson Mandela became a lawyer. He joined the African National Congress (ANC), a group that wanted to end apartheid. Apartheid meant that white people had all the power and black people had very few rights. They couldn't vote, had to live in separate areas, and had worse schools and jobs.

Mandela believed that everyone should be treated equally, no matter their skin colour. He worked hard to change these unfair laws.

Years in Prison

Because of his strong fight against apartheid, Nelson Mandela was arrested. He was sent to prison in 1964. He spent 27 years in different prisons, including Robben Island, which was a very tough place. Even in prison, he continued to inspire people around the world to fight for justice in South Africa.

Becoming a Free Man

Nelson Mandela was released from prison on 11 February 1990. His release was a huge moment for South Africa and the world. He worked with the government to create a new, fair country where everyone could vote. He believed in talking and finding peaceful solutions, even with those who had been his enemies.

President of South Africa

In 1994, South Africa held its first truly democratic election where people of all races could vote. Nelson Mandela was elected as the first black president. This was a historic moment for the country.

As president, he worked to bring people together and heal the country after years of apartheid. He served one term, from 1994 to 1999.

Important Awards and Recognitions

Nelson Mandela received many awards from all over the world. These awards showed how much people respected his fight for human rights and peace.

Key Awards and Honours

• 1979: He received the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding from India.
• 1983: He was given honorary citizenship of Rome and Olympia, Greece.
• 1988: He won the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament.
• 1990: He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, which is India's highest civilian award.
• 1991: He received the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize from UNESCO.
• 1992: Pakistan gave him the Nishan-e-Pakistan, their highest civilian award.
• 1993: He received the Philadelphia Liberty Medal from the US President Bill Clinton.
• 1993: He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. This is one of the most famous awards in the world.
• 1995: Queen Elizabeth II made him an honorary member of the Order of Merit.
• 1996: He was made a Knight of the Order of the Elephant by the Danish Queen Margrethe II.
• 1997: His former house in Soweto became the Mandela Family Museum.
• 1998: He was given the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington, USA.
• 2002: He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, from President George W. Bush.
• 2004: A large square in Johannesburg, South Africa, was renamed Nelson Mandela Square.
• 2006: He received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award.
• 2009: The United Nations General Assembly declared his birthday, 18 July, as "Mandela Day" to celebrate his contributions to world freedom.
• 2013: A large bronze statue of Mandela was unveiled at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa.

Summary of Orders Received

Here is a table showing some of the important orders and honours Nelson Mandela received from different countries and organizations.

Order		Country / Org	Year
	Star of People's Friendship	East Germany	1984
	Order of Playa Girón	Cuba	1984
	Bharat Ratna	India	1990
	Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic	Nigeria	1990
	Order of the Uhuru Torch (Second Class)	Tanzania	1990
	Order of Agostinho Neto	Angola	1990
	Nishan-e-Pakistan	Pakistan	1992
	Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon	ROC	1993
	National Order of the Legion of Honour (Grand Cross)	France	1994
	Honorary member of the Order of Merit	Commonwealth of Nations	1995
	Knight of the Order of the Elephant	Denmark	1996
	Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali	Mali	1996
	Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim	Sweden	1997
	Honorary Companion of the Order of Canada	Canada	1998
	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav	Norway	1998
	Knight Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic	Spain	1999
	Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau	Luxembourg	1999
	First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise	Ukraine	1999
	Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia	Australia	1999
	Order of Islamic Republic	Iran	2001
	Presidential Medal of Freedom	United States	2002
	Order of Mapungubwe – Platinum Category	South Africa	2002
	Bailiff Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem	Commonwealth of Nations	2004
	First Class Order of the Balkan Mountains	Bulgaria	2008
	Order of the Aztec Eagle	Mexico	2010
	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (Canadian version)	Canada	2012
	Service Medal in Bronze	South Africa	1996
	Service Medal in Silver	South Africa	1996
	Service Medal in Gold	South Africa	1996
	Unitas Medal	South Africa	1994
	Star for Bravery in Gold (SBG)	South Africa	1996
	Star for Bravery in Silver (SBS)	South Africa	1996
	Conspicuous Leadership Star (CLS)	South Africa	1996
	Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG)	South Africa	1996
	Merit Medal in Silver (MMS)	South Africa	1996
	Merit Medal in Bronze (MMB)	South Africa	1996

Images for kids

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  Street sign in Glasgow, Scotland

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  Bharat Ratna, awarded 1990

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  Bill Clinton presented Mandela with the Philadelphia Liberty Medal on 4 July 1993

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  Nelson Mandela's former house in Soweto, Johannesburg, now Mandela Family Museum.

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  Order of St John of Jerusalem Badge

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  The coat of arms and motto used by Mandela as a knight of the Danish Order of the Elephant; he is not known to have any other coat of arms.

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  Coat of arms as a knight of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim, a difference of the achievement rendered above.