On May 10, 1994, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was inaugurated as the first Black and democratically elected President of South Africa. Held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the ceremony marked the official end of apartheid and the beginning of a new era of multiracial democracy. More than 1,000 dignitaries from around the world, including U.S. Vice President Al Gore and Cuban leader Fidel Castro, were in attendance. Mandela’s inaugural speech emphasized unity, forgiveness, and the collective rebuilding of a “rainbow nation.” His election was the result of the first free and fair elections in the country’s history, with over 20 million people casting their votes. The moment symbolized not just political change, but global hope and the triumph of justice over oppression.