Today is Nelson Mandela Birthday

Today is Nelson Mandela 90th birthday. He is a great man.

Nelson Mandela's quiet birthday has turned into a village celebration

Nelson Mandela, the man who rose from prisoner to president of South Africa, is celebrating his 90th birthday.

After a series of public, celebratory appearances around the world over the past few weeks, he is expected to spend the day at home with his family.

Former President FW de Klerk has led tributes to the man who succeeded him.

Mr Mandela was a member of the outlawed ANC under apartheid. He was jailed for 27 years but went on to become South Africa's first black president.

The last president of the apartheid era, Mr de Klerk, who was awarded 1993 Nobel Peace Prize along with Mr Mandela, described him as one of the greatest figures of the 20th Century.

"After his inauguration, Nelson Mandela used his personal charm to promote reconciliation and to mould our widely diverse communities into an emerging multicultural nation," he told reporters on Thursday.

"This, I believe, will be seen as his greatest legacy."

Since stepping down as president in 1999, Mr Mandela has become South Africa's highest-profile ambassador, campaigning against HIV/Aids and helping to secure his country's right to host the 2010 football World Cup.

In 2004, at the age of 85, Mr Mandela retired from public life to spend more time with his family and friends and engage in "quiet reflection".

Correspondents say the birthday event in his home village of Qunu in south eastern South Africa was supposed to have been a quiet affair, but there are now a variety of events planned including a local football festival, a concert and a dinner for 500 guests on Saturday.

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