President Barack Obama Thursday eulogized Nelson Mandela as “a man who took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice.” 
 
 Obama, speaking shortly after South African President Jacob Zuma announced Mandela’s death, called the man for so long known as Prisoner 46664 as “one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth.” 
 
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 “We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again — so it falls to us as best we can to forward the example that he set: to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love, to never discount the difference that one person can make, to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice.” 
 
 (VIDEO: Nelson Mandela, a look back) 
 
 The president is expected to travel to South Africa for the state funeral, which has not yet been scheduled. National security staff told Obama in the Oval Office of Mandela’s death shortly before 5 p.m. EST, White House officials said. 
 
 Obama ordered American flags lowered to half staff through Monday in recognition that “the United States has lost a close friend, South Africa has lost an incomparable liberator, and the world has lost an inspiration for freedom, justice, and human dignity.” 
 
 He reiterated these sentiments to Zuma in a phone call Thursday evening, offering his condolences on behalf of the nation, and speaking of “how profoundly Mandela’s extraordinary example of moral courage, kindness, and humility influenced his own life” and of the deep relationship between the United States and South Africa, the White House said. 
 
 (PHOTOS: Nelson Mandela’s life and career) 
 
 Mandela is the father of modern South Africa, and Obama addressed part of his remarks to the people of that nation as well, praising them for being an example to the world of “renewal and reconciliation and resilience.” 
 
 Beginning his statement at the White House by reading a quote from Mandela, the president spoke for just a few minutes, reflecting on Mandela’s impact on the world — and on him personally. Obama spoke of how reading Mandela shaped his thinking about who he was and who would want to be, recalling that his own entry into politics was a speech at an anti-apartheid, South African divestment rally. 
 
 “I am one of the countless millions who drew inspirations from Nelson Mandela’s life,” Obama said. “I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set. So long as I live, I will do what I can to learn from him.” 
 
 The two met just once, and briefly — in Washington in 2005, when the just-elected Senator Obama pushed for a meeting with the former president, and was initially rebuffed — but did produce a well-known photo of Obama leaning over a seated Mandela, holding his hand, one in the shadow, one in the light. 
 
 Obama did not meet with him when he traveled to South Africa a year later, but Mandela sent Obama a letter after his election calling it a measure of what was possible in the world, and the two spoke occasionally over the phone in the years since. 
 
 A Mandela health scare halted plans for a possible meeting when Obama returned to South Africa this past summer. But Obama visited Mandela’s old cell at Robben Island and met with Mandela’s family, and in a speech while in the country, praised the leader for showing “us that one man’s courage can move the world.” 
 
 Carrie Budoff Brown contributed. ||||| SOWETO, South Africa — For a day, the world came to Nelson Mandela’s adopted hometown. There were celebrities: Bono, Naomi Campbell, Charlize Theron. There were kings-in-waiting: Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Crown Prince Felipe of Spain. There were more presidents and prime ministers than at just about any other setting outside a United Nations General Assembly. 
 
 It was a singular gathering to celebrate a life virtually unmatched in modern times, and the assemblage of allies and adversaries reflected Mr. Mandela’s enduring legacy of forgiveness and reconciliation, as well the messy and sometimes clashing global allegiances of his party, the African National Congress. 
 
 President Obama gave a eulogy that stirred the crowd, only to be followed later by President Raúl Castro of Cuba. The two even shared an unexpected handshake. Old friends met happily in the V.I.P. area, while old enemies, like former Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, avoided each other. 
 
 “It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well; to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion and generosity and truth,” Mr. Obama said in his remarks, referring to Mr. Mandela by his clan name. “He changed laws, but he also changed hearts.” 
 
 Sheets of driving rain swept across this former segregated township — an urban sprawl within sight of the glittery high rises of downtown Johannesburg — keeping many mourners away from the vast soccer stadium where Mr. Mandela made his last public appearance, during the World Cup in 2010. Still, tens of thousands of other South Africans, swathed in their national colors, came out to celebrate Mr. Mandela, who died on Thursday at the age of 95, some stomping their feet as protesters did during the movement that led to his release from prison in 1990 after 27 years of incarceration. 
 
 “Even heaven is crying,” one woman in the crowd declared as the deluge continued. “We have lost an angel.” 
 
 The day began with a joyful noise. 
 
 Nothando Dube, 31, left her home in Soweto at dawn, joining a throng to sing old songs of the struggle against apartheid, waiting for the memorial to the man who brought democracy to South Africa and became its first black president. It was a moment for a country that at times still seems deeply divided by race, class, religion and tribe to join together once again as the Rainbow Nation of Mr. Mandela’s dreams. 
 
 “It feels different when you sing it now as a free young person,” said Ms. Dube, wearing an A.N.C. beret. “You try to reach that feeling, that emotion they were feeling when they sang that song in prison.” 
 
 But a few hours later, her mood had darkened. As jeers cascaded from the crowd aimed at South Africa’s current president, Jacob Zuma, Ms. Dube was one of many rolling their arms in the gesture known the world over as a call to substitute a failing player in a soccer match. It was an unmistakable message to Mr. Zuma, who faces corruption charges and deep worries about his governing of the country. 
 
 “You don’t want to be airing your laundry in front of everybody, but people wanted to send a message,” she said. “The man on the street feels there’s a lot that should have been done by now to fix the country.” 
 
 Like many around the world, the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, praised Mr. Mandela’s ability to look beyond past wrongs, bridge divisions and build a new nation, inspiring his own country and many others far beyond its borders. 
 
 “He showed the awesome power of forgiveness — and of connecting people with each other and with the true meaning of peace,” Mr. Ban said in his remarks. “That was his unique gift, and that was the lesson he shared with all humankind. He has done it again. Look around this stadium and this stage. We see leaders representing many points of view, and people from all walks of life. All here, all united.” 
 
 But what had been planned as a moment to reunite a nation struggling with a slumping economy, widening inequality, rampant corruption and deep political divisions ultimately showcased the broad discontent with South African politics today. Many attending the service booed and hooted at Mr. Zuma, who has for many come to symbolize all the lost promise of South Africa’s peaceful transition from racist white rule to nonracial democracy. 
 
 “I don’t own a house even though I am always struggling,” said George Tshotlego Mikobeni, 27 and unemployed, as he watched Mr. Zuma on stage at the memorial. 
 
 “He is not like Madiba,” Mr. Mikobeni said. “He only cares about himself. This man spent all our money on his house, so many millions,” he continued, referring to $27 million on so-called security upgrades to Mr. Zuma’s home, which were paid for with government money but included things that had nothing to do with security, according to a preliminary investigation. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Obama: "Madiba's moral courage... has been a personal inspiration to me" 
 
 US President Barack Obama has praised Nelson Mandela as "an inspiration to the world" while visiting South Africa. 
 
 The US leader, who was speaking in Pretoria after talks with President Jacob Zuma, does not intend to visit the 94-year-old, who has been critically ill for nearly a week. 
 
 But he met the Mandela family in private and spoke by telephone to his wife, Graca Machel. 
 
 Riot police clashed with anti-Obama protesters in Soweto. 
 
 The American leader was in Soweto to deliver a speech to young African leaders at the University of Johannesburg. 
 
 According to Mr Zuma, Mr Mandela remains "stable but critical", and he added that he had "every hope that he will be out of hospital soon". 
 
 Analysis Nelson Mandela's ill health has overshadowed Barack Obama's first trip to South Africa as US president. Both Mr Obama and South African President Jacob Zuma began their remarks to the media by mentioning the hero of the fight against white minority rule. But the trip was planned long before Mr Mandela was taken to hospital and was intended to focus on increasing trade, for mutual benefit. President Zuma noted that Mr Obama had been involved in the campaign to impose economic sanctions on apartheid South Africa in the 1980s, but said now was the time to shift from "disinvestment to reinvestment". While South Africa has been criticised for having slow economic growth at a time when other African countries are booming, Mr Zuma rebuffed this by saying: "We are pursuing the dreams and policies of Nelson Mandela." He even said the former president had recently told him: "When I go to sleep, I will be happy as I know I will leave South Africa moving forward." 
 
 However, South Africa's last apartheid president and the man jointly awarded the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with Mr Mandela, FW de Klerk, is to cut short a visit to Europe due to Mr Mandela's poor health, his foundation said in a statement. 
 
 'Messages of strength' 
 
 In Pretoria, Mr Obama said Mr Mandela's example of "the power of principle, of people standing up for what's right continues to shine as a beacon". 
 
 "The outpouring of love that we've seen in recent days shows that the triumph of Nelson Mandela and his nation speaks to something very deep in the human spirit; the yearning for justice and dignity that transcends boundaries of race and class and faith and country," he added. 
 
 He met members of the former leader's family at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg. The US First Lady, Michelle Obama, did not accompany him but spoke to Mrs Machel by phone along with her husband. 
 
 Mrs Machel, who remains by Mr Mandela's side in the hospital in Pretoria, said after their phone call that she had conveyed their "messages of strength and inspiration" to her husband. 
 
 Mr Zuma said that as the first black leaders of their respective countries, Mr Obama and Mr Mandela were "bound by history" and so "carry the dreams of millions of people in Africa and in the diaspora who were previously oppressed". 
 
 Mr Obama's visit, he remarked, was "well timed" to take advantage of a growing market in South Africa, and called for greater US investment. 
 
 When asked whether the US felt threatened by the increasing influence of other countries, particularly China, in Africa, Mr Obama replied that he believed it was a good thing for the development of the continent, but cautioned South Africa to ensure that foreign companies were employing local workers and investing back into the country. 
 
 Image caption Mr Obama is not meeting Mr Mandela out of respect for the state of his health. Portraits of the two men could be seen among tributes in Pretoria Image caption Mr Obama met his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma, in Pretoria. Image caption The Obama team have moved around by helicopter and car Image caption Mr Obama addressed young African leaders at the University of Johannesburg Image caption Earlier, riot police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets to keep back protesters against the US leader's foreign polciy previous slide next slide 
 
 Addressing students at the university, Mr Obama said he wanted to spread his "yes we can" message to the continent's future leaders. 
 
 He urged them to take inspiration from Mr Mandela, who persevered through a long prison sentence. 
 
 "Think about 27 years in prison," he said. 
 
 "Think about hardships and the struggles and being away from family and friends. There were dark moments that tested his faith in humanity, but he refused to give up. In your lives there will be times to test your faith." 
 
 Just before he spoke, police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse protesters against his foreign policy, who had gathered outside the university. At least one person was injured and one arrested. 
 
 Some protesters were carrying portraits of Mr Obama marked with a Hitler-style moustache. 
 
 "People died in Libya, people are still dying in Syria... in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, drones are still killing people. So that's why we are calling him a Hitler. He's a killer,'' Ramasimong Tsokolibane, 54, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. 
 
 Nelson Mandela: Key dates 1918 Born in the Eastern Cape 
 
 Born in the Eastern Cape 1944 Joins African National Congress 
 
 Joins African National Congress 1956 Charged with high treason, but charges dropped 
 
 Charged with high treason, but charges dropped 1962 Arrested, convicted of sabotage, sentenced to five years in prison 
 
 Arrested, convicted of sabotage, sentenced to five years in prison 1964 Charged again, sentenced to life 
 
 Charged again, sentenced to life 1990 Freed from prison 
 
 Freed from prison 1993 Wins Nobel Peace Prize 
 
 Wins Nobel Peace Prize 1994 Elected first black president 
 
 Elected first black president 1999 Steps down as leader BBC History: Mandela's defiant freedom speech 
 
 Mr Obama arrived in South Africa from Senegal on Friday evening. 
 
 During his weekend trip, the US president will visit Robben Island off Cape Town, where Mr Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. On Monday, he will continue his African tour in Tanzania. 
 
 Lung damage 
 
 Mr Mandela is revered for leading the fight against white minority rule in South Africa and then preaching reconciliation despite being imprisoned for 27 years. 
 
 He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was elected president the following year. He left office in 1999 after a single term. 
 
 Mr Mandela retired from public life in 2004 and has rarely been seen at official events since. 
 
 He has a long history of lung problems, and was diagnosed with tuberculosis in the 1980s while he was a prisoner on Robben Island. 
 
 After his release, Mr Mandela said that the tuberculosis was probably caused by dampness in his prison cell.
– President Obama today paid homage to Nelson Mandela shortly after the former South African leader's death was announced, reports Politico and AP. "He no longer belongs to us," said Obama. "He belongs to the ages." Some other highlights: Mandela was “a man who took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice.” “We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again—so it falls to us as best we can to forward the example that he set: to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love, to never discount the difference that one person can make, to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice." “I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set. So long as I live, I will do what I can to learn from him.” Other tributes: Music: Billboard rounds up 10 musical salutes to Mandela, from Bono to Public Enemy. Jimmy Carter: "His passion for freedom and justice created new hope for generations of oppressed people worldwide, and because of him, South Africa is today one of the world's leading democracies." Tony Blair: "Through his dignity, grace, and the quality of his forgiveness, he made racism everywhere not just immoral but stupid." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon: "Only because of such a great man like Nelson Mandela is it possible that particular people in Africa and elsewhere are able to enjoy freedom and human dignity."