Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. Mandela was a symbol of peace and reconciliation and is widely regarded as an icon of democracy and social justice. He received more than 250 honors, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.