42K views · 340 reactions | Nelson Mandela was released from prison on February 11, 1990, after spending 27 years imprisoned for his role in fighting apartheid in South Africa. His release was a pivotal moment in South African history and marked the beginning of the end of apartheid. Mandela's freedom was celebrated worldwide.He would go on to become South Africa's first black president in 1994, a position he held until 1999. | History In Pictures | Facebook