Nelson Mandela, the political activist and prisoner turned liberator who fought against segregation in South Africa, passed away Thursday night at the age of 95.
Mandela was the first black president of South Africa, and is credited with freeing the country from white minority rule.
"Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father," South African President Jacob Zuma said, according to CNN. "What made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves."
He died at home at 8:50 p.m., local time, from complications from a recurring lung infection. Mandela will be buried in his home village of Qunu.
Mandela was put in the spotlight when he spent 27 years in prison after being convicted of treason by the white minority government who feared he would spur a communist movement and throw the country into utter chaos under black rule. Instead, he calmly negotiated an end to their rule after his release from prison in 1990. He was known as an anti-apartheid icon who fought racism with peace, dignity, and strength, and in 1993, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with then president F.W. de Klerk for their combined efforts in peacefully ending apartheid.
"As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison," said Mandela after his incarceration.
Though he only served one term as the country’s president, Mandela stayed at the forefront of politics, and was always pushing for peace and equality in South Africa. The former leader set the precedent for presidents to come, and in 2004, he led the country in a celebration of a decade of democracy, with every presidential term transitioning peacefully.
"We've lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth," said President Obama. "He no longer belongs to us -- he belongs to the ages."
[Source: CNN]