12 June - Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison for sabotage in South Africa.

 

On June 12, 1964, Nelson Mandela, a prominent anti-apartheid activist and leader of the African National Congress (ANC), was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in acts of sabotage against the apartheid regime in South Africa. This sentencing followed the infamous Rivonia Trial, named after the suburb of Johannesburg where ANC leaders were arrested in 1963. Mandela and his co-defendants were charged with four counts of sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government by violent means.

During the trial, Mandela delivered a powerful speech from the dock, known as the "I Am Prepared to Die" speech, where he defended the ANC's decision to engage in armed struggle and highlighted the injustices of apartheid. Mandela and his co-accused were convicted and initially faced the death penalty, but this was commuted to life imprisonment.

Mandela spent the next 27 years in prison, mostly on Robben Island, before being released in 1990 amid mounting domestic and international pressure. His imprisonment became a symbol of the broader struggle against apartheid, and his eventual release marked the beginning of the end for the apartheid system. Mandela went on to become South Africa's first black president in 1994 and played a pivotal role in the country's transition to a multiracial democracy.