Year
Award
1964
Elected Honorary President of the Students’ Union, University College, London
1965
Elected Honorary President of the Students’ Union, University of Leeds, Britain
1973
A nuclear particle discovered at the University of Leeds named the Mandela particle
1975
Honorary life membership of the Students’ Union, The University of London
1979, 29 Sept
Awarded Honorary Doctorate of Law, University of Lesotho, Maseru
1980, 14 Nov
Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding, New Delhi, India
1981
Freedom of the City of Glasgow on 4 August. The scroll was accepted on behalf of Mandela by the Vice-President of Nigeria
Road named after Mandela by the London Borough of Brent
Seventeen-thousand-signature petition handed to South African Embassy in Paris calling for release of Mandela
Dr Bruno Kreisky Prize for merit in the field of human rights, Vienna, Austria
1982
Elected Honorary Life President of the Students’ Union at the London School of Economics and Political Science
By August 1982 a total of 2,000 mayors in 53 countries worldwide had signed a petition for Nelson Mandela’s release
Organisation of African Unity called for release of Nelson Mandela
1983
Honorary citizenship of Rome, February. Scroll received by Vice-President of Mozambique
Honorary citizenship of Olympia (original site of the Olympic Games), Greece, 17 March
Honorary Doctorate of Laws. City College of New York, 5 June
City Council of Dublin, Ireland, unveiled sculpture in a city park by Elisabeth Frink dedicated to Nelson Mandela, 26 June
Award of the order ‘Star of International Friendship’ in gold by the German Democratic Republic, 18 July
City Council of Harlow, United Kingdom, renamed one of its major roads in honour of Nelson Mandela, 18 July
AUEW (TASS), on of Britain’s major trade unions, held a special ceremony to rename their executive committee room the ‘Nelson Mandela Room’, 18 July
Freedom of London Borough of Greenwich, 20 July
UNESCO awards its first Simon Bolivar International Prize jointly to Nelson Mandela and King Juan Carlos of Spain at a ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bolivar, 24 July
City Council of Leeds, Britain, names the Civic Hall ‘Nelson Mandela Gardens’, 10 December
Twelve members of the United States Congress call for Nelson and Winnie Mandela to be made honorary citizens of the USA
Second chamber of Netherlands parliament asks Netherlands government to urge South African government to release Nelson Mandela and all South African political prisoners
Seventy-eight members of British parliament call for Nelson Mandela’s release
Park in Hull, Britain, named ‘Mandela Park’
Labour Party of Britain invites Nelson Mandela as a guest of its Annual Conference
Netherlands government informs the South African government that it is prepared to grant Nelson Mandela political asylum and requests his release
Nominated for election to the Chancellorship of the University of Natal, South Africa, by the Students’ Representative Council
Honorary LLD, University of Lancaster, Britain
City of Cardiff, Wales, named a street after Nelson Mandela
The students of Warwick University, Coventry and South Bank Polytechnic Students Union named rooms in honour of Nelson Mandela
New York City renamed square in front of South African mission to the United Nations ‘Nelson and Winnie Mandela Plaza’
1984
Honorary Degree, Free University of Brussels, 13 January
Camden Borough Council, London, names the street where the Anti-Apartheid Movement has its headquarters as ‘Mandela Street’.
The British pop group Special AKA releases a record called ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ which becomes a hit
Hackney Council, London, renames a housing block after Nelson Mandela, April
Playa Giron Award, Cuba, awarded by Fidel Castro
Honorary membership of National and Local Government Officers Association [NALGO] Britain
Haringey Borough Council, London, names housing development after Nelson Mandela
Resolution sponsored by 135 Congressman in US House of Representatives calling for release of Nelson Mandela approved by acclamation by House Foreign Affairs Committee and approved by Senate
Synod of Nedertuitse Gereformeerde Kerk in Africa (NGKA) calls for release of Nelson Mandela
Monument to Nelson Mandela unveiled in Merrion Square, Dublin
Bishop Trevor Huddleston presents 50,000 signatures on international petition to Javier Perez de Cuellar, UN Secretary General. calling for the release of Mandela and all South African political prisoners
Elected Honorary Member of the Students Association, University of Strathclyde. Scotland
Freedom of the City of Wijnegen, Belgium
Awarded Star of International Friendship, German Democratic Republic, 27 August
Freedom of the City of Aberdeen conferred on both Nelson and Winnie Mandela, 29 November
School in German Democratic Republic named ‘Nelson Mandela School’
1985
Revenue Staff Federation, Britain, names its Commonwealth trade union scholarship after Nelson Mandela
London Borough of Southwark names new road ‘Mandela Way’
Nottingham City Council names a room in a sports centre
Mayors representing more than fifty British towns and cities march through London in full ceremonial dress to ask the Prime Minister to take further steps to secure Nelson Mandela’s release
The 1985 Third World Prize, awarded annually by the London-based Third World Foundation for Social and Economic Studies, awarded jointly to Nelson and Winnie Mandela
Awarded freedom of the City of Hull, UK.
Awarded the Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize by Human Rights Institute of The Bar of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 29 March
Nigerian writers organisation, Writers and Journalists Against Apartheid (WAJAAP), confers title of Life Patron
City of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, UK, renames its speakers’ corner Nelson Mandela Corner, September
Freedom of the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October
Honorary citizenship of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October
Diploma of Honour and Friendship from the University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October
Statue of Nelson Mandela erected in London by Greater London Council, unveiled by Oliver Tambo on 28 October
Senegal’s President Abdou Diouf inaugurates Soweto Square and Nelson Mandela Avenue in the centre of Dakar, 6 December
Awarded Doctor of Laws degree by Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, December
1986
Elected Honorary Life President of the National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa
Awarded the W E B DuBois International Medal by the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP)
Coventry City Council named new building after Mandela
Presented with the Alfonso Comin Foundation Peace Award in Barcelona, Spain
Freedom of the Borough of Islwyn, Wales, given to Winnie and Nelson Mandela
Awarded International Peace and Freedom Award by the Workers International Centre, Stockholm Sweden
Awarded, with Winnie Mandela, the Third World Prize by the Strategic and International Studies Group of Malaysia, 5 May
Honorary Doctorate of Laws, University of Zimbabwe
Park in Leicester, England, named after Mandela
Honorary membership awarded to Winnie and Nelson Mandela by the National Union of Seamen, Britain
Street in Glasgow, Scotland, where South African Consulate is sited, renamed after Mandela
1987
First person to receive the Freedom of the City of Sydney, Australia, 9 January
Honorary Degrees, Winnie and Nelson Mandela, United States Ross University Medical School in the Caribbean
Named Patron of Isipingo and District Football Association, Natal
Honorary Degree, University of Michigan, USA
Honorary Degree. University of Havana, Cuba
Honorary Citizen, City of Florence, Italy
Topped a poll in the Johannesburg newspaper, Sowetan, of the people its readers would like to run South Africa
Honorary Doctorate, Karl Marx University of the German Democratic Republic, Leipzig, 11 November
1988
Awarded Bremen Solidarity Prize, Federal Republic of Germany
Nelson and Winnie Mandela given honorary membership of the National Union of Teachers, Great Britain
Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute Concert, Wembley Stadium, London, 11 June. Attended by audience of 72,000 and seen on television by close to a billion people in over 60 countries
Awarded freedom of the City of Dublin, Ireland
Awarded the Sakharov Prize
Honorary Doctorate conferred, University of Carabobo, Venezuela, June
People of Levkada, Greece, award the Medal of Peace, August
Honorary citizenship conferred by nine Greek municiplaities: Egaleo, Ellenikon, Glyfada, Ilioupolis, Daissariani, New Filadelfia, Nikaea, Preveza and Zogrofu
Honorary degree in Political Science awarded by the University of Bologna, Italy, 12 September
Honorary citizenship bestowed by the Town Council of the city of Bologna, Italy, September
Awarded the United Nations Human Rights Fourth Award, 10 December
‘Nelson Mandela Road’ named, New Delhi, India, 10 December
1989
Agusto Cesar Sandino Award bestowed by Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua, Managua, 21 February
Freedom of the Municipality of KweKwe, Zimbabwe, conferred in March. Award received by Oliver Tambo
Awarded Peace Prize of the Tipperary Peace Committee, Ireland
Nuremberg Platz renamed ‘Nelson Mandela Platz’, Nuremberg, Germany, June
Honorary Doctorate of Laws, York University, Toronto, Canada, 16 June
Square in Clayes-sous-Bois, France, named ‘Nelson Mandela Square’, September
Wednesday 15 June 2011 14:43
In 1995, 14 December, Harvard Business School Statesman of the Year Award
1990
Made Honorary Life President of National Union of Mineworkers when he addressed its Central Committee, 21 April
Granted freedom of the City of Harare, Zimbabwe, March
‘Mandela Day’, a public holiday declared in Zimbabwe on 5 March
Awarded the Lenin Peace Prize for 1990, May
Bestowed the Dr Antonio Agostinho Neto Order, the highest honour of the People’s Republic of Angola, 12 May
Bestowed the award ‘Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’, Lagos, 14 May
Awarded Al-Qadafi International Prize for Human Rights in Tripoli, Libya, 19 or 20 May
Honorary degree in political science by the Cairo University, Egypt, 19 or 20 May
Bestowed ‘Bharat Ratna’, India’s highest civilian award, October
Doctorate, honoris causa, conferred by University of Malaya, November
Honorary Doctorate in law, University of Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town, 28 November
1991
Honorary LL.D Degree conferred, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 6 September
Awarded Carte-Menil Human Rights Prize, 8 December
1992
Received 1991 UNESCO Peace Prize, Paris, 3 February
Installed as Chancellor of the University of the North, 25 April
Honorary LL.D Degree conferred by the University of Fort Hare, 9 May
Honorary Doctorate conferred at the Sheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal, 30 June
Presented with the Freedom of Miami Beach Medallion of Honour, Johannesburg, 29 September
Pakistan conferred the Nishan-i-Pakistan Award, 3 October
Asturias Prize of International Co-operation awarded, Oviedo, Spain, 31 October
Received the “Spirit of Liberty” award at the “People for the American Way” award ceremony, 8 November
1993
Received Gleitsman Foundation International Activist Award, Johannesburg, 12 May
Received, with President F W de Klerk, Philadelphia Liberty Medal Award. Presented by President Clinton, Philadelphia, USA, 4 July
Honorary Degree conferred, Clark University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 10 July
Received Apostolic Humanitarian Award, Johannesburg, 15 September
Honorary Doctorate of Laws, Soochow University, Taiwan, 1 August
Awarded J William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding, Washington, 1 October
Received Honorary Degree from the Free University of Brussels, Belgium, 8 October
Awarded Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo, Norway, 10 December
1994
Received the New Nation/Engen Man of the Year Flame of Distinction award, 24 March
Elected Newsmaker of the Year, with Deputy President F W de Klerk, by the Johannesburg Press Club, 25 May. Prof Kader Asmal received the award on 29 September
Received the Hunger Project’s 8th annual Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger, London, 19 July
Received Anne Frank medal for human rights and tolerance, Johannesburg, 15 August
Received Sheikh Yusuf Peace Award from the Moslem Women’s Federation, 10 September
Received the Arthur A Houghton Star Crystal Award for Excellence from the African-American Institute, 6 October
Honorary Doctorate, Howard University, 7 October
Received freedom of the town of Tongaat, KwaZulu/Natal, 21 October (initially granted in 1989)
Received the Olympic Gold Order from International Olympic Committee president, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Cape Town, 16 November
Received Man of the Year Award from the Greek Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Southern Africa, Johannesburg, 19 November
Honorary Doctorate awarded by University of South Africa
Awarded the “Commonwealth Champion of Health” medal, received by South African athletes at the Commonwealth Games, Canada
1995
Africa Peace Award – sponsored jointly by the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) – presented at a ceremony in Durban, March
Nelson Mandela Road to Katse, Lesotho, inaugurated, 13 July
Received Pretoria Press Club’s 1994 Newsmaker of the Year Award, Pretoria, 20 July
Granted the Freedom of Uitenhage, Uitenhage, 14 September
Awarded Honorary Fellowship of the College of Medicine of South Africa, Johannesburg, 17 October
Harvard Business School Statesman of the Year Award, 14 December
Human Rights Institute, with President Mandela as honorary chairman, launched in London by the International Bar Association, December
1996
Awarded honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland
Indira Gandhi Award for International Justice and Harmony bestowed. Award received by Justice Minister Dullah Omar in New Delhi, India, January
U Thant Peace Award bestowed by Sri Chinmoy, 29 January
Awarded the National Order of Mali (Grande Croix), Mali’s highest decoration, Bamako, 3 March
Received the Freedom of the City of London, London, 10 July
Received Honorary Degrees from the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, de Montfort, Glasgow, Caledonian, London, Nottingham, Oxford and Warwick, Buckingham Palace, London, 10 July
Received Honorary Doctorate from Sorbonne University, Paris, 15 July
Received Honorary Doctorate from Stellenbosch University, 25 October
Received the Freedom of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 29 November
1997
Awarded Honorary Degree by the University of the Philippines, Manila, 2 March
Received Freedom of the City of Pietermaritzburg, 25 April
Received Freedom of the City of Bloemfontein, 16 May
Baker Avenue in Central Harare, Zimbabwe, Renamed Nelson Mandela Avenue, 19 May
Received Freedom of Boksburg, 26 June
Received Freedom of Oxford, UK, 11 July
Awarded Honorary Doctorate from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 17 July
Awarded Honorary Doctorate by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Cape Town, 19 September
Received the American Public Health Association Presidential Citation, Pretoria, 14 October
Awarded the Collar of the Nile by President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Cairo,21 October
Received Freedom of City of Edinburgh, Scotland, 27 October
Received Freedom of City of Cape Town, 27 November
Received Honorary Degree from the University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 4 December
1998
Received Honorary Doctoral Degree from the University of South Australia, University of Fort Hare, 23 April
Awarded Honorary Doctorate, University of Zululand, 30 May
Awarded the Freedom of the City and County of Cardiff, Cardiff, 16 June
Awarded the Chris Hani Award at the 10th National Congress of the South African Communist Party, Johannesburg, 1 July
Awarded Honorary Degree by the University of Mauritius, 11 September
Awarded Honorary Doctorate by Harvard University, Boston, 18 September
Awarded Congressional Gold Medal, Washington, 23 September
Awarded Canada’s highest honour, appointment to the Order of Canada, 24 September
Presented with Award in Recognition of his Contribution to Democracy, Human Rights and Freedom by the Supreme Council of Sport in Africa, 19 November
1999
Received the Deutscher Medienpreis, Baden Baden, Germany, 28 January
Awarded the Oneness-Peace: Earth-Summit-Transcendence-Fragrance Award, Pretoria, 9 March
Received the Golden Medal of the City of Amsterdam, Netherlands, 10 March
Received honorary doctorate from Leiden University, the Netherlands, 12 March
Awarded the Freedom of the City of Durban, Durban, 16 April
Received Honorary Doctorate from the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 30 April
Received Ukraine’s Highest Decoration, the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, Cape Town, 5 May
Appointed Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia, Canberra, 9 June
Received Jesse Owens Global Award, Johannesburg, 21 September
Received insignia of Honour from the African Renaissance Institute, Johannesburg, 11 October
Received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Botswana, Gaborone, 14 October
Received the Baker Institute Enron Prize for Distinguished Public Service at Rice University, Houston, 26 October
Awarded the Freedom of the City of Lydenburg, Lydenburg, 3 November
Received the Order of Australia from Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Pretoria, 15 November
Presented with the Temple of Understanding Annual Award to Religious and Political Leaders for Outstanding Service to Humanity, Cape Town, 5 December
Presented with the Gandhi-King Award by the World Movement for Non-violence at the Parliament of World Religions, Cape Town, 5 December
2000
Awarded the Queen’s Council by the House of Lords, United Kingdom, 3 May
Awarded SABS Gold Medal, Sandton, 10 June
BT Ethnic Multicultural Media Award, London, 29 June
Received World Methodist Peace Award, London, 29 June
International Freedom Award, Memphis, Tennessee, 22 November
2001
International Ghandi Peace Prize, Presidential Palace, New Delhi, 16 March
Made an Honorary Freeman of Leeds, 30 April
Made an Honorary Fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge, 2 May
Awarded the first King Shaka Award in recognition of bravery, 25 July
Park Public School renamed Mandela Park Public School, Toronto, Canada, 17 November
Received honorary doctorate of law from Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada, 17 November
Granted Honorary Citizenship of Canada, 19 November
Awarded the LLD Honoris Cause from the University of the Free State
Awarded the D Tech Education Honoris Cause from the Technikon Free State
Human Rights Lifetime Achievement award by the SA Human Rights Commission, Johannesburg 11 December
2003
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Law from Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, 6 April
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Ghana, South Africa, 24 April
Awarded the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Freedom Medal, Middleburg, The Netherlands, 8 June
Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian award, by George W Bush, Washington, USA, 9 July
Awarded for Outstanding Children’s Literary Work from Robert Weil representing the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People — the oldest civil rights organisation in the United States, 7 May
2004
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Britain’s Open University, Cape Town 4 February
Received the Congressional Medal of Achievement from the Philippine Congress, Manila 25 March
2006, 1 Nov
Amnesty International bestowed its most prestigious honour – the Ambassador of Conscience Award 2006 – on Mandela in Johannesburg. The award recognises exceptional individual leadership in the fight to protect and promote universal human rights. Amnesty international spokesperson Bill Shipsey said Mandela had come to symbolise all that was hopeful and idealistic in public life more than any other living person. “Mandela, through his fight and victory against apartheid, showed the world that no problem is too difficult to solve.” Mandela is the fourth recipient of the award since its inception in 2003. Previous recipients are the Irish rock group, U2; poet and politician Vaclav Havel; and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson. Accepting the award, Mandela said he had been struggling for human rights for many years and the award was a step towards fighting injustices in the whole world.
2008
The Freedom of the Cities Award was conferred by the Tshwane mayor, Gwen Ramokgopa, on the former president. The event, broadcast live to Pretoria’s Church Square, was held in privately at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton. Earlier during the award ceremony, a group of striking SA municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) members disrupted proceeding. When Mandela spoke after the ceremony, he said: Remember the horror from which we come… Never forget the greatness of a nation that has overcome its division. Let us never descend into destructiveness and divisiveness…” He was referring to the destruction caused by the striking workers. He accepted the award saying that that he accepted it “warmly and with humility”.
2010
On 15 September Mandela received the Mexican government’s highest award for foreigners, the Order of the Mexican Eagle. His wife, Graca Machel, gave the assurance that “he is fine, he is healthy, but as he himself says, he is old” when she accepted the award on his behalf in Pretoria.
Mexico’s ambassador to South Africa, Luis Cabrera, handed over the award “for one of the world’s greatest freedom fighters” at a reception marking the 200th anniversary of Mexico’s independence. He said it was for prominent service to Mexico and to humankind.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon had hoped to give Mandela the award personally at the opening match of the World Cup between South Africa and Mexico at Soccer City on June 11, Cabrera said. Mandela cancelled his attendance after his great-granddaughter died in a car crash.