(The photo is from BBC Newshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7475717.stm)
As usual, I was watching BBC and CNN in English, and there was a large-scale event celebrating Nelson Mandela's
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8D%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BD%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E3%83%87%E3%83%A9 90th birthday.
The event in London featured a visibly aged Mandela, and the contrast with the enthusiastic and energetic people around him was remarkable. It seemed to be a charity concert as well. British Prime Minister Brown and former U.S. President Clinton also participated in the event. I, being ignorant, wondered why they were so enthusiastic about Mandela, so I looked it up and found out that he was a South African leader who fought for the liberation of black people. Of course, that's why they were holding such a large-scale event. It would have been interesting to see a former Japanese Prime Minister sitting at that table. Just attending would have boosted Japan's image, and I think it's a missed opportunity.
Anyway, I didn't realize this person was still alive? I thought he had passed away. It seems I was mistaken.
2023 Update:
It seems that many people, like me, thought that he "should have been dead," and this has become known as the Mandela Effect.
When I happened to see an old article, I realized that I had felt a sense of unease from that time. That feeling wasn't just mine.