File picture
Qunu, South Africa:
Nelson Mandela celebrated his 94th birthday on Wednesday surrounded by family and friends at his rural house in Qunu, South Africa.
The former president sat at the head of a long table, with current wife Graca Machel on his right and ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to his left.
On a side table behind Mr Mandela was a large birthday cake.
Communities in South Africa and around the world were dedicating 67 minutes of the day to volunteer work and projects for the needy - one minute to mark each of Mr Mandela's 67 years in public service.
Mr Mandela became South Africa's first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for his fight against racist apartheid rule, and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
Fellow Nobel laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said the greatest gift the nation could give Mr Mandela would be "to emulate his magnanimity and grace."
Mr Mandela's activism helped bring democracy and freedom to the once white-ruled South Africa.
But the country remains beset by tensions over continued white minority domination of the economy, massive unemployment, poor education and health services and the millions who remain homeless or in shacks.
The former president sat at the head of a long table, with current wife Graca Machel on his right and ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to his left.
On a side table behind Mr Mandela was a large birthday cake.
Communities in South Africa and around the world were dedicating 67 minutes of the day to volunteer work and projects for the needy - one minute to mark each of Mr Mandela's 67 years in public service.
Mr Mandela became South Africa's first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for his fight against racist apartheid rule, and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
Fellow Nobel laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said the greatest gift the nation could give Mr Mandela would be "to emulate his magnanimity and grace."
Mr Mandela's activism helped bring democracy and freedom to the once white-ruled South Africa.
But the country remains beset by tensions over continued white minority domination of the economy, massive unemployment, poor education and health services and the millions who remain homeless or in shacks.
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