Cape Town in the Space Age

The atlas holds 10 people and 32 moments here, from 1957 to 2021. The most recorded lives are Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Christiaan Barnard.

Notable people

1. Allan MacLeod Cormack

   in 1957

   1 moment here

   South African-born American physicist and academic whose mathematical work helped establish computed tomography.…

2. Christiaan Barnard

   from 1958 to 1983

   5 moments here

   South African cardiac surgeon who led the team that performed the first successful human-to-human heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape…

3. Desmond Tutu

   from 1986 to 2021

   6 moments here

   South African Anglican bishop, theologian, anti-apartheid activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Archbishop of Cape Town, and chair of South Africa’s…

4. F. W. de Klerk

   from 1990 to 2021

   2 moments here

   South African lawyer and National Party politician who served as State President of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as deputy president from 1994…

5. Kofi Annan

   in 2006

   1 moment here

   Ghanaian diplomat and statesman who served as Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006.…

6. Laurent-Désiré Kabila

   in 1997

   1 moment here

   Congolese revolutionary, rebel leader, and politician. Kabila led the Party of the People’s Revolution and the Maquis of Fizi, became head of the…

7. Muammar Gaddafi

   in 1999

   2 moments here

   Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician, and political theorist who ruled Libya from the 1969 coup until his overthrow and killing during…

8. Nelson Mandela

   from 1963 to 2003

   11 moments here

   South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, lawyer and statesman. Mandela helped lead the African National Congress, co-founded its armed wing,…

9. Steve Biko

   from 1971 to 1977

   2 moments here

   Bantu Stephen Biko was a South African anti-apartheid activist and a leading theorist and organizer of the Black Consciousness Movement.…

10. Whitney Houston

    in 1994

    1 moment here

    American singer, actress, producer, and cultural icon known for recordings including “I Will Always Love You,” major world tours, film roles, and…

Moments

1. 1957 Return to Cape Town for X-ray reconstruction experiment Allan MacLeod Cormack
2. 1958 Experimental-surgery leadership Christiaan Barnard
3. 1963 First confined on Robben Island Nelson Mandela
4. 1964 Begins life sentence on Robben Island Nelson Mandela
5. 1967 First human-to-human heart transplant Christiaan Barnard
6. 1968 Heart-transplant symposium Christiaan Barnard
7. 1971 Black Consciousness conference paper Steve Biko
8. 1974 First heterotopic double-heart transplant Christiaan Barnard
9. 1977 Trip to Cape Town Steve Biko
10. 1982 Transferred to Pollsmoor Prison Nelson Mandela
11. 1983 Retirement from surgical leadership Christiaan Barnard
12. 1985 Treated at Volks Hospital Nelson Mandela
13. 1986 Enthronement as Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu
14. 1988 Meeting with P. W. Botha over Sharpeville Six Desmond Tutu
15. 1988 Continues treatment at Constantiaberg Nelson Mandela
16. 1988 Diagnosed at Tygerberg Hospital Nelson Mandela
17. 1989 Cape Town protest march Desmond Tutu
18. 1990 Meeting Nelson Mandela after release Desmond Tutu
19. 1990 Opening-of-Parliament reform speech F. W. de Klerk
20. 1990 Addresses Cape Town from City Hall Nelson Mandela
21. 1990 Leads talks at Groote Schuur Nelson Mandela
22. 1990 Political summit at Bishopscourt Desmond Tutu
23. 1994 Cape Town South Africa concert Whitney Houston
24. 1995 Returns to Robben Island Nelson Mandela
25. 1997 Talks with Nelson Mandela Laurent-Désiré Kabila
26. 1998 Revisits Robben Island with Clinton Nelson Mandela
27. 1999 Visit to Cape Town Muammar Gaddafi
28. 1999 Visit to Robben Island Muammar Gaddafi
29. 2003 Addresses inaugural 46664 concert Nelson Mandela
30. 2006 Visit to South Africa Kofi Annan
31. 2021 Death at home in Fresnaye F. W. de Klerk
32. 2021 Death at Oasis Frail Care Centre Desmond Tutu

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