Why Famous:Tutu is a renowned South African Anglican cleric whose staunch opposition to the policies of apartheid in South Africa earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.
Tutu's rise to prominence began in 1975 when he became the first black person to be appointed the Anglican dean of Johannesburg.
His political activism has endured long after the end of Apartheid, and Tutu has drawn attention to various social justice issues like HIV/AIDS, poverty, and racism over the years.
1984-10-16 Desmond Tutu, South African Anglican Archbishop, wins Nobel Peace Prize
1984-12-10 South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu is presented with his Nobel Peace Prize
1985-08-19 Following the Rubicon speech four days earlier, Archbishop Desmond Tutu snubs P. W. Botha's invitation to attend a meeting to discuss the role and actions of the police and security forces in South Africa
1986-04-14 Desmond Tutu elected Anglican Archbishop of Capetown
1986-09-07 Desmond Tutu becomes Anglican archbishop of Capetown
1989-09-13 Archbishop Desmond Tutu leads biggest anti-apartheid protest march in South Africa
1996-06-23 Archbishop Tutu retires as Archbishop of Cape Town and head of the Anglican Church in South Africa
1998-08-19 South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission chairperson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, releases documents revealing an alleged plot by Western countries to assassinate UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld of Sweden
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