On this day - 11 February

Nelson Mandela walked free on February 11th 1990, having been released from prison. He was arrested and imprisoned in 1962 and given a life sentence of which he served 27 years. Following his release, supporters gathered to hear his first speech. He supported the end of violence, but called for the continuation of demonstrations as he deemed those necessary in the ongoing fight against apartheid.

He spent much of his life campaigning and, following his release from prison, was elected the first president of South Africa. He held this role from 1994 to 1999. He was a Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

On February 11th 2020 the coronavirus outbreak disease was officially named Covid-19. It was named by the World Health Organisation. The disease was named in this manner to prevent any geographical association and therefore prevent any stigma or negative associations for a location.

The virus that caused the disease was named SARS-CoV-2 on the same day by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. This was due to the genetic similarities between it and the SARS-CoV named in 2003.