“Tolerance of intolerance is cowardice.” 922: Ayaan Hirsi Ali Outspoken Atheist and Activist Born: 13 November 1969, Mogadishu, Somalia Ayaan is a champion of free speech, a women’s rights activist, and an author. She has also been criticized by many for stating Islam “is fundamentally incompatible with Western democratic values, especially those upholding the rights…
“As a woman, we must stand up for ourselves. As a woman, we must stand up for each other.” “At least international media can see how I am trying to change the typical orthodox mindset of people who don’t want to come out of their shells of false beliefs and old practices.” 921: Qandeel Baloch…
“Before I came to Denmark, I remember I made a promise to myself to make a difference. This was my plan as a three-year-old when I was just a girl digging holes in the desert for water.” 920: Joanna Palani Danish/Kurdish Warrior Who was Jailed by Denmark For Fighting the Islamic State Born: 1993, Ramadi…
“My head was just too full of black history, you know, the oppression that we went through.” 919: Claudette Colvin Refused to Give Up Her Bus Seat Nine Months Before Rosa Parks Born: 5 September 1939, Montgomery, Alabama, United States of America Claudette’s act of bravery occurred on the Montgomery bus lines too no less!…
“Nay, man, I am not now to repent.” 918: Mary Barrett Dyer One of America’s First Religious Martyrs Born: c.1611, England (Present-day England, United Kingdom) Died: 1 June 1660, Boston, The Colony of Massachusetts (Present-day Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America) Mary converted to Quakerism (or more correctly a member of the Society of Friends)…
“A black face in all that white snow was a pretty easy target. Those Germans must be terrible marksmen.” 917: Augusta Chiwy Volunteer Nurse During the Siege of Bastogne in World War II Born: 4 June 1921, Belgian Controlled German East Africa (Present-day Mubavu, Burundi) Died: 23 August 2015, Brussels, Belgium Augusta was born to…
“I was packing to go, I didn’t know where; for I knew that if I went back to Virginia, I should never get my liberty.” 916: Ona Judge Staines Martha Washington’s Escaped Slave Born: c.1774, Mount Vernon Plantation, The Colony of Virginia (Present-day Mount Vernon, Virginia, United States of America) Died: 25 February 1848, Greenland,…
915: Meresankh III Ancient Egyptian Royal Woman Lived: Fourth Dynasty Ancient Egypt (Old Kingdom) Meresankh means “she loves life.” Meresankh was the granddaughter of Pharaoh Khufu. She was the wife of Pharaoh Khafre*, whose brother was Meresankh’s father Kawab. This means Meresankh married one of her biological uncles; which was not uncommon for the royal…
“I accidentally managed to take a picture that became world-famous and became a symbol of the revolution.” -Vagn Hansen, the Photographer 914: Erika Szeles Soldier in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 Born: 6 January 1941, Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary (Present-day Budapest, Third Hungarian Republic) Died: 8 November 1956, Budapest, Hungarian People’s Republic (Present-day Budapest, Third…
“You can’t regret your fate. Although I do regret my mother didn’t marry a carpenter.” 913: Lana Peters Most Known for Being Josef Stalin’s Daughter Born: 28 February 1926, Moscow, Soviet Union (Present-day Moscow, Russia) Died: 22 November 2011, Richland Center, Wisconsin, United States of America Original Name: Svetlana Stalina Also Known As: Svetlana Alliluyeva…