As we celebrate Mandela's birthday Today, Here are 10 things you need to know about Him

As the world celebrates Mandela's birthday Today, Here are 10 things you need to know about the man, Madiba:

1. Nelson Mandela birth's name is actually "Rolihlahla". It is an isiXhosa name that means "pulling the branch of the tree" and colloquially used to denote a "troublemaker". His English name that he is now known by, Nelson, was given to him by a missionary schoolteacher. (Source: Mail&Guardian)

2. Mandela studied in boarding school and then went on to Fort Hare Missionary College. He was expelled from college for helping organise a protest against the white colonial rule of the institution. He gradually
became involved in other protests against the white colonial rule. (Source: Igentry.blogspot)

3. He was not only the first commander in chief of the ANC's (African National Congress) armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, but together with Oliver Tambo, he founded the country's first black law firm, Mandela & Tambo, which defended people affected by apartheid laws. (Source: Mail&Guardian)

4. Mandela's time spent in prison, 27 years under the lowest prisoner's classification, was a harsh time. He was restricted to a 2m x 2.5m cell, with nothing but a bedroll on the floor and a bucket for sanitation. He was made to do hard labour in a lime quarry for much of that time. At first, he was only allowed one visitor and one letter every six months. (Source: Mail&Guardian)

5. The apartheid government offered to release Mandela on six different occasions if he would stop his violent acts, and he rejected them all. One such time, Mandela released a statement saying: "I cherish my own freedom dearly, but I care even more for your freedom ... What freedom am I being offered while the organisation of the people [the ANC] remains banned?" (Source: Mail&Guardian)

6. Nelson Mandela will always be remembered as the first South African President who was elected in a completely democratic election. (Source: Carbonated TV)

7. Mandela has been married three times, has six children, twenty grandchildren, and a growing number of great-grandchildren. (Source: Carbonated TV)

8. Nelson Mandela is one of the most awarded people of the world. He has received over 250 awards including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, and the Bharat Ratna in 1990. He also set up Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund in 1995 and established Nelson Mandela Foundation and The Mandela-Rhodes Foundation. (Source: Carbonated TV)

9. For the first time in its history, the UN decided to dedicate an entire day to a person. In November 2009, the UN General Assembly declared 18 July "Nelson Mandela International Day", in recognition of "the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom". (Source: UN)

10. A bronze statue of Mandela is unveiled in Parliament Square in London. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Nelson Mandela made a rare public appearance during the closing ceremony and was warmly applauded. (Source: Carbonated TV)