Born in Johannesburg on 18 March 1936, this South African politician of a traditionally political Boer family, earned a law degree in 1958.

Afterwards, he founded a law office in Vereeniging and in 1972, he was elected as a Parliamentary representative by the National Party. In the years that followed, he held a number of ministerial positions: between 1979 and 1982, that of Mining and Energy; between 1982 and 1985, of the Interior; and between 1984 and 1989, Foreign Affairs.

On this last date, ye replaced Pieter Willem Botha as the President of the Government, a position through which he began a reform policy aimed at overcoming apartheid. To do so, he abolished segregationist laws and freed a number of incarcerated black politicians (including Nelson Mandela), he legalised the African National Congress (ANC) and gave the nation a new constitution.

In 1992 he was awarded, along with Nelson Mandela, the Prince Philip Award for International Cooperation as a result of his efforts in ending the apartheid regime and favouring human rights.

In 1993, he agreed with the ANC to establish a transition government and to hold presidential elections the following year. For this reason, that same year he was awarded, along with Nelson Mandela, the Nobel Peace Prize.

He decided to retire from politics in 1997.

Source: Wikipedia and Nobelprize