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35 Powerful Facts About Worldwide Peacemaker, Nelson Mandela

Trista April 7, 2019 16 min

President of South Africa - African National Congress

6. Mandela Was Nearly Blind Because of His Time on Robben Island

President George W. Bush and former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa met in the Oval Office Tuesday on May 17, 2005. Eric Draper, White House Photographer / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain.

Nelson Mandela had been forced for years to split rocks that reflected the sunlight so strongly that it severely damaged his eyes. He developed what is commonly referred to as “snow blindness” and frequently wore sunglasses because of how much light hurt his eyes.