Born on July 18
Nelson Mandela International Day
Give 67 minutes to someone.
Next: July 18, 2027
Where it comes from
Nelson Mandela was born in the village of Mvezo, in South Africa's Eastern Cape, on 18 July 1918. At his 90th birthday celebrations in London's Hyde Park in 2008 he told the crowd, 'It is time for new hands to lift the burdens.
How it's celebrated
Mandela asked that his birthday should not become a public holiday but a day of service. So people are asked to give at least 67 minutes of their time to others, one minute for each year he spent working for human rights and social justice: supporting a charity, cleaning up a neighbourhood or serving their community.
Did you know
The first Mandela Day was marked both in South Africa and in New York.
Read the full story of Nelson Mandela International Day
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