1. Historical Figures 20th Century

2. Golda Meir (1898-1978) Born in Kiev (present-day Ukraine)
Emigrated with family to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1906
Immigrated to British Mandate Palestine in 1921 to help found a Jewish state
A signer of the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel – May 14, 1948
Israel’s first ambassador to the Soviet Union
Minister of Labor
Foreign Minister of Israel
Initiated Israel’s policy of cooperation with newly independent nations of Africa
Secured relations with the United States
1969 elected Prime Minister of Israel ( )
Led Israel through the 1973 Yom Kippur War with Egypt and Syria
Political leader, diplomat, Israel’s fourth Prime Minister

3. Margaret Thatcher 1925-2013 Born in England,1925
Graduated from Oxford University
Education Minister
Prime Minister of Great Britain ( )
First Term
Second Term
Third Term
Privatized state industries, lowered taxes, reduced social spending –led to a reitalized the economy
Nicknamed “The Iron Lady” by the Soviets
Defeated Argentina in a war over the Falkland Islands
British Prime Minister – only woman to lead a major Western democracy

4. Mother Teresa (1910-1997) Born in Macedonia (Nationality: Albanian)
Joined the Sisters of Loreto at age 18
Took vows as a Roman Catholic nun in Calcutta, India
Devoted herself to the poorest people in the slums of Calcutta
1950 started her own Catholic order – The Missionaries of Charity
Primary goal to help the poorest of poor
Care for those persons most neglected by society
The Missionaries of Charity spread throughout the world
Mother Teresa has been recognized for her work:
Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971)
Nehru Prize (1972)
Balzan Prize (1979)
Nobel Peace Prize (1979)
The United States Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985)
Roman Catholic nun, humanitarian, Nobel Peace Prize recipient

5. Indira Gandhi ( )
Daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, first Prime Minister of India
Appointed Minister of Information and Broadcasting
Elected Prime Minister of India ( , )
First female Prime Minister of India
India engaged in war with Pakistan (1971) under her leadership
Increased food production in India with the Green Revolution –transformed India’s food shortages into surplus production
Assassinated in 1984
First female Prime Minister of India

6. Nelson Mandela (1918- 2013) Born in South Africa, 1918
Anti-apartheid activist
1962 – arrested, convicted of sabotage, sentenced to life in prison
(served 27 years in prison)
Became the symbol of resistance against racial segregation in South Africa
Helped to end South Africa’s apartheid system of racial segregation
President of South Africa
First president to be elected in a democratic election
Has received over 250 awards including co-winning a Nobel Peace Prize (1993)
Political prisoner, helped end South Africa’s apartheid system,
first black president of South Africa, resisted oppression

7. Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948) Born in 1869.
Obtainted a law degree in London, practiced law in South Africa for 21 years
Spiritual and moral leader favoring India’s independence from Great Britain
Promoted passive resistance, self-sufficiency, civil disobedience, non-cooperation and boycotts
Undertook hunger strikes to protest oppression of poor classes in India and other injustices
Led Indians in a Salt March protesting the national salt tax
Led Indians to independence from Great Britain through non-violent resistance
Assasinated in 1948 by a Hindu nationalist
Leader of India’s movement for independence, non-violent
Activist, resisted oppression

8. Óscar Romero (1917-1980) Became a Roman Catholic priest in 1942
1977 appointed Roman Catholic Archbishop of El Salvador
Spoke out against poverty, victims of oppression, social injustice, human rights violations, and torture in El Salvador
Requested international intervention to protect people against government forces
Resisted any oppression
Assassinated while celebrating Mass in 1980
Outspoken activist against political oppression

9. Lech Walesa (1943- ) Born September 29, 1943
Polish dockworker who led strike in Gdansk in order to get Polish government to recognize the Solidarity union, the first independent free-trade union in the Soviet bloc
After martial law was imposed and Solidarity outlawed, he established the Round Table Agreements where the Polish government to the first parliamentary elections and a Solidarity-led government
Elected president of Poland in 1990 after the fall of communism in that nation
Presidential Term: December 12, 1990 – December 22, 1995
Awards: Nobel Peace Prize
Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity union.

10. John Paul II (1920-2005) Born: May 18, 1920, Wadowice
Died: April 2, 2005, Apostolic Palace
Reigned as a Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005.
Polish archbishop who, after his election as pope, was instrumental in ending communism in Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe by giving spiritual inspiration to rise against communist leaders
Awards: Presidential Medal of Freedom, National Jewish Book Award for Jewish-Christian Relations
Roman Catholic Pope- ends communism in Poland and other parts of E. Europe