#MandelaMemorial: the service as it happened on social media

It was a memorial service like no other. Who else could possibly bring together leaders like UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Barack Obama, and seat them all in a stadium in the pouring rain?

The ceremony for former South African President Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg made waves on social media today, dominating worldwide trending topics and news coverage, with #MandelaMemorial becoming the rallying point for live tweets from the FNB stadium, comments over the dignitaries and messages of remembrance. It also saw some interesting events from a political standpoint — from Obama shaking the hand of Cuban President Raúl Castro to the US President and his wife gaining a warmer reception from the crowd than South Africa’s current President Zuma.

While the ceremony ran for hours and saw numerous speeches and performances, we’ve rounded up a few of the highlights from social media.