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Today is a sad day. Nelson Mandela has passed away at the age of 95. 

President Jacob Zuma of South Africa made the announcement today (December 5) on live television.

Reports Business Insider:

The former South African president had been suffering from a recurring lung infection, and the Daily Telegraph reports that his friends and family had gathered at his bed today. Zuma announced his death in a televised address to the nation.

Mandela’s struggle was one of the defining stories of the 20th century. Trained as a lawyer, he became involved in politics after 1948 as South Africa moved into a system of racial apartheid. While initially espousing non-violent protests with the African National Congress (ANC), he eventually founded a militant organization and was behind a bombing campaign in the early 1960s. He was arrested and sentenced to life in prison in 1962.

A biopic about Mandela’s life, titled Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, and starring Idris Elba will be in theaters in the United States on December 25 and recently opened at no. 1 in South Africa.

Rest In Power Nelson Mandela.

Photo: WENN