PHOTO ALBUM: The life and times of Mandela

Anti-apartheid icon and one of the world's most beloved leaders, Nelson Mandela, turns 95 today .

Mandela, South Africa's first black president, has been hospitalised since June 8 with a recurring lung infection.

His condition is stable and he may be discharged soon, according to reports by the local media.

Mandela is revered among most of the country's 53 million people as the architect of the 1994 transition to multi-racial democracy after three centuries of white domination.

Mandela, who spent 27 years in apartheid prisons for plotting against the white-minority state, stepped down in 1999 after one five-year term in office.

Since then, he has played little role in public life, dividing his time in retirement between his home in the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Houghton and Qunu, the village in the impoverished Eastern Cape province where he was born.

Let's take a look at the life and times of the Madiba, as Mandela is popularly known in his country.

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A 'Release Nelson Mandela' poster issued by Anti-Apartheid Movement is shown in this undated photo. Source: Wits University library.

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Nelson Mandela adopts a boxing pose, wearing shorts, t-shirt and boxing gloves, circa 1950

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Mandela speaks at a conference in the early 1960s.

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A picture taken from the National Archives of South Africa March, 10, 2005 shows the front page of South Africa's Post newspaper from June 14, 1964 during the Rivonia trial that resulted in the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela.

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Black youth hold up a placecard of jailed Mandela at a mass meeting at Zwide township near Port Elizabeth

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Mandela gives an animated speach to the crowd at Trafalgar Square during the South African democracy concert on April 29, 2001. A crowd of 20,000 were later entertained by music groups such as REM and The Corrs.

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Mandela and pop star Michael Jackson hug each other at the president's official home in Cape Town in this July 20, 1996 photo.

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South Africa's new banknotes, which features an image of Mandela on the front and images of the country's 'Big Five' wild animals on the reverse, are seen in a till as they go into official circulation in Pretoria in this November 6, 2012 photo.

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Triple world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield and Mandela face each other in Johannesburg

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Mandela demostrates his soccer prowess at a rally.

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An electoral official takes down details from Mandela's ID book as he registered for the second democratic elections at a polling station in Johannesburg.

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Mandela hugs Cuban President Fidel Castro during a visit to Mandela's home in Houghton, Johannesburg in this September 2, 2001 photo.

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Mandela reads a newspaper at his home in Houghton.

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Mandela poses with South Africa Rugby Union coach Jake White (Left), South Africa Rugby Union captain John Smit (Right) and the Webb-Ellis cup during the Springboks visit at his residence on October 27, 2007 in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Mandela and his wife Graca Machel smile and wave to the crowd ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Final match between Netherlands and Spain at Soccer City Stadium on July 11, 2010 in Johannesburg.

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