Fiercely Independent In the first half of his life, Nelson Mandela led the fight against apartheid in his native South Africa—until he was convicted of sabotage and sentenced to life in prison. Remarkably, he stayed true to his beliefs; released 27 years later to lead once again, he was elected president and served from 1994 to 1999. Still his true self, he next formed The Elders and pledged to be “a fiercely independent force for good.” Pictured here at age 92, he sat with two other Elders, Desmond Tutu (72) and Jimmy Carter (79). Mandela died 3 years later, at age 95, on December 5, 2013.

AP PHOTO/JEFF MOORE, POOL