Historical figures in Durban
The atlas holds 11 people and 16 moments here, from 1893 to 2011. The most recorded lives are Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Fidel Castro. Among them Political Leaders, Writers and Jurists, across the Space Age and the Cold War.
Notable people
Albert Luthuli
in 1914
1 moment here
Albert John Luthuli was a South African teacher, traditional leader, anti-apartheid activist, and President-General of the African National Congress.…
Desmond Tutu
in 2011
1 moment here
South African Anglican bishop, theologian, anti-apartheid activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Archbishop of Cape Town, and chair of South Africa’s…
Fidel Castro
from 1998 to 2001
2 moments here
Cuban revolutionary and political leader who led the 26th of July Movement against Fulgencio Batista, became Cuba's prime minister in 1959, and later…
Helen Keller
in 1952
1 moment here
Helen Adams Keller was an American deafblind author, lecturer, disability-rights advocate, and political activist.…
Jerry Rawlings
in 1999
1 moment here
Jerry John Rawlings was a Ghanaian Air Force officer and politician who led Ghana in 1979 and from 1981 to 2001, first as military ruler and later as…
Mahatma Gandhi
from 1893 to 1897
2 moments here
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, political ethicist, and leader of mass nonviolent resistance.…
Muammar Gaddafi
in 2002
1 moment here
Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician, and political theorist who ruled Libya from the 1969 coup until his overthrow and killing during…
Nelson Mandela
from 1952 to 2000
4 moments here
South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, lawyer and statesman. Mandela helped lead the African National Congress, co-founded its armed wing,…
Steve Biko
in 1966
1 moment here
Bantu Stephen Biko was a South African anti-apartheid activist and a leading theorist and organizer of the Black Consciousness Movement.…
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…
Winston Churchill
in 1899
1 moment here
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874–1965) was a British soldier, journalist, author and statesman whose career ranged from imperial campaigns in…
Moments
- 1893 Defies Durban court's turban order Mahatma Gandhi
- 1897 Attacked after landing in Durban Mahatma Gandhi
- 1899 Returns to Durban as a celebrity Winston Churchill
- 1914 Study at Ohlange Institute Albert Luthuli
- 1952 Farewell in Durban Helen Keller
- 1952 Launches Defiance Campaign in Durban Nelson Mandela
- 1966 Medical student and SRC member Steve Biko
- 1991 Elected ANC president in Durban Nelson Mandela
- 1994 Casts first vote at Ohlange Nelson Mandela
- 1994 First South Africa concert Whitney Houston
- 1998 State visit and NAM summit Fidel Castro
- 1999 Commonwealth summit attendance Jerry Rawlings
- 2000 Closes Durban AIDS conference Nelson Mandela
- 2001 World Conference against Racism Fidel Castro
- 2002 Founding African Union summit Muammar Gaddafi
- 2011 Climate-justice rally at COP17 Desmond Tutu