Poland Politician Lech Kaczyski 1949

(born June 18, 1949, Warsaw, Pol.—died April 10, 2010, Smolensk, Russia) politician who served as president of Poland (2005–10).

Kaczyski and his identical twin, Jarosaw, were sons of Rajmund Kaczyski, a soldier who fought the German occupation of Poland, and his wife, Jadwiga, who taught Polish linguistics and served in a literary research institute. The brothers first attained prominence as child actors, appearing in Those Two Who Would Steal the Moon (1962). They were both educated at the University of Warsaw, and both later earned law degrees, Lech at the University of Gdask and Jarosaw at Warsaw. During the 1970s, as students, they were active in anticommunist movements, and Lech was jailed briefly (1981–82) by the government.

Although both worked for a short time in education, by the early 1980s they had become active in Solidarity, the trade-union movement headed by Lech Wasa. Lech Kaczyski held leadership positions in the movement, while his brother for a time edited its newspaper. When Solidarity came to power in 1989, Lech and Jarosaw both began active careers in government. In 1990 they formed the Centre Agreement ( Porozumienie Centrum), which Jarosaw headed until 1998. Both brothers won election to the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish legislature, and they held a number of government appointments. By 1993, however, the pair had begun a falling out with Wasa, and in 2001 they cofounded the Law and Justice Party ( Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc; PiS), headed (2001–03) by Lech and from 2003 by Jarosaw.

The brothers did not fit neatly into traditional political categories. They were considered nationalist (even xenophobic by their critics) and aggressive in foreign policy, often hostile to the policies of the European Union (EU), and sharply critical of the country's historical enemies, Germany and Russia. They took a strong stand against the perennial problem of corruption in Poland. At the same time, there were populist elements in their views; although they advocated a strong central government, they also promoted both tax cuts and a strong economic safety net. On social issues they were deeply conservative, strictly following the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church.

In 2002 Lech became mayor of Warsaw, while his brother continued to serve in the Sejm. In September 2005 the PiS party won a plurality in the Sejm and formed a ruling coalition; in October Lech was elected president of Poland, and he was sworn into office in December. The following year, Lech appointed his brother prime minister; however, Jarosaw's tenure in office was cut short when his government was defeated in early parliamentary elections in 2007 by the opposition Civic Platform.

During the ratification of the EU's Treaty of Lisbon, Kaczyski played a central role. The Polish parliament had approved the treaty in 2008, but Kaczyski had refused to sign it until an Irish referendum on the treaty had passed. A week after Irish voters endorsed the treaty in October 2009, and with the Polish government's having secured opt-outs from EU policy on some social issues, including abortion, Kaczyski finally initialed the document. In April 2010 he died in a plane crash on his way to commemorate the Katyn Massacre, the mass execution of Polish military officers by the Soviet Union during World War II. The crash, which occurred not far from the Katyn site, also killed Kaczyski's wife and some 90 others, including top Polish government officials, among them the president of the national bank, the army chief of staff, and the head of the national security bureau.

US Republican Newt Gingrich 1943

(born June 17, 1943, Harrisburg, Pa., U.S.) American politician, who served as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (1995–98). He was the first Republican to hold the office in 40 years.

After graduating from Emory University (1965), Gingrich studied modern European history at Tulane University (M.A., 1968; Ph.D., 1971) and taught at West Georgia College (1970–78). After unsuccessful runs for the U.S. Congress in 1974 and 1976, he won a seat from a district outside Atlanta in 1978. Gingrich quickly became known for his confrontational manner and conservative policies. In 1987 he attacked Speaker of the House Jim Wright for questionable financial dealings; the charges forced Wright to resign in 1989. That same year, Gingrich was narrowly elected House minority whip by his Republican colleagues with a vote of 87–85.

Aided by President Bill Clinton's unpopularity, the Republican Party gained control of Congress following the 1994 midterm elections. Gingrich was seen as the architect of the victory, especially noted for helping draft the “Contract with America,” a document outlining legislation to be enacted by the House within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress. Among the proposals were tax cuts, a permanent line-item veto, and a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. In December 1994 Gingrich was chosen by the majority Republicans as House speaker, and he assumed the office the following month. With one exception, all parts of the “Contract with America” were passed by the House.

Shortly after becoming speaker, however, Gingrich's popularity began to wane. In late 1995 he was widely blamed for partial government shutdowns after refusing to compromise with President Clinton on the federal budget. He also faced a series of ethics investigations. In 1995 he returned a $4.5-million book advance after the House ethics committee questioned its appropriateness. The following year the committee concluded that he had violated House rules concerning a college course he taught from 1993 to 1995; it found he had wrongly used tax-exempt donations to fund the class and that he had inaccurately denied the involvement of GOPAC, a political action committee that he once headed, in the course's development. In January 1997 the House of Representatives ordered Gingrich to pay a fine of $300,000. The House also reprimanded him for providing false information to the committee investigating his case. Amid the controversies, Gingrich was narrowly reelected speaker in early 1997.

In January 1998, reports surfaced alleging that Clinton had lied before a federal grand jury concerning his involvement in an extramarital affair with a former White House intern. Gingrich backed a bid to impeach and remove the president from office. Many voters concluded that the House had overreached in its attack on Clinton, and the Republicans lost five seats to Democrats in the 1998 midterm elections. Following the election, there was a backlash against Gingrich within the Republican Party, with numerous Republicans blaming him for failing to present a clear and innovative agenda to the country and instead choosing to focus party strategy upon the impeachment proceedings against a highly popular president. Faced with dwindling support, Gingrich stepped down as speaker of the House in November 1998, and in January 1999 he resigned his seat in Congress.

Gingrich remained involved in politics, serving as a consultant and television commentator. He wrote a number of books, including Lessons Learned the Hard Way (1998), Winning the Future: A 21st Century Contract with America (2005), and Rediscovering God in America (2006).

US Congress Politician John Murtha 1932 - 2010

Politician. Born June 17, 1932, in New Martinsville, West Virginia. John Patrick Murtha's family had a deep military history; his great-grandfather served in the Civil War and his father and three uncles in World War II. In 1962, Murtha received a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh. He then completed graduate courses at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

In 1966, as the Vietnam war escalated, Murtha volunteered for active duty in the Marines, joining his brothers in the military. Wounded twice, he was awarded two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Upon his return to the United States, he entered politics. In 1969, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House. He served in Pennsylvania until 1974, when he was appointed to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election to fill a vacancy caused by the death of GOP Rep. John P. Saylor.

Murtha served in the House until his death in 2010. During his time in office, Murtha chaired the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. He also became a critic of the Iraq war, calling it unwinable. He pushed the Bush administration to commit more troops and resources.

The congressman died on the afternoon of February 8, 2010, in the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Virginia, after complications from gall bladder surgery.

Murtha and his wife, Joyce, lived in Washinton, D.C. with their three children until his death in 2010.

Politician Josiah Henson 1789 - 1883

Abolitionist, minister. Born into slavery June 15, 1789, in Port Tobacco, Maryland, Henson witnessed frequent abuses to his family. Henson's father received a severe beating for striking a white man who was trying to sexually assault Henson's mother. Henson's father never recovered from the incident, and was sold to an owner in Alabama. Henson's brother and sisters were also sold off one by one, as was his mother. Through several business exchanges made with various owners, Henson eventually landed in the hands of owner Isaac Riley in Maryland.

Riley saw Henson's potential, and moved him from laborer to market man. In this position, proved his morality and obedience to Riley, who allwed henson to begin attending Christian sermons. During one particular sermon, Henson came into contact with an anti-slavery preacher, and was exposed to the abolitionist movement. In 1811, Henson was allowed to marry another slave, Charlotte.

In 1825, Riley went bankrupt and had to sell his farm. Henson and 22 other slaves were sold to Riley's brother, Amos, in Kentucky. Riley made Henson promise to deliver himself and the other slaves safely to Kentucky. Henson kept his word and all were delivered, even though they traveled through the free state of Ohio. In 1828, Henson became a preacher for the Methodist Episcopal Church and was able to earn money to buy his freedom. His master took the money, but then raised the price to $1,000.

As Henson tried to raise the money, his new master sold him to a new planter in New Orleans. While traveling to New Orleans with his owner to finish the transaction, the master's son got seriously ill. Henson was charged with bringing his master's son back home, and could have made a run for his freedom. Instead, Henson brought him safely home, with no reward or appreciation. This was the last straw for Henson, and in 1830 he decided to flee to Canada with his wife and children.

On October 28, 1830, Henson and his family settled in Dresden, Ontario. For the next four years, Henson worked as a farm laborer and preacher in the area, and had his oldest son teach him how to read and write. He also became involved in the Underground Railroad, leading over 200 slaves to freedom. In 1842, he developed his own Afro-Canadian community that taught practical skills to his fugitives. In 1849, Henson published his autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself.

In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin, a fictional portrayal of slavery in America. Beecher later revealed that one of the novel's main characters, Uncle Tom, was based on Josiah Henson. This made Henson famous, and for a few years afterward he made the lecture circuit as the "real Uncle Tom."

Henson died on May 5, 1883.

Biography of Che Guevara 1928 – 1967

Revolutionary leader. Born Ernesto Guevara de la Serna on June 14, 1928, in Rosario, Argentina. After completing his medical studies at the University of Buenos Aires, Guevara became political active first in his native Argentina and then in neighboring Bolivia and Guatemala. In 1954, he met Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro and his brother Raul while in Mexico.

Guevara became part of Fidel Castro's efforts to overthrow the Batista government in Cuba. He served as a military advisor to Castro and led guerrilla troops in battles against Batista forces. When Castro took power in 1959, Guevara became in charge of La Cabaña Fortress prison. It is estimated that between 156 and 550 people were executed on Guevara's extra-judicial orders during this time.

Later, he became president of the Cuban national bank and helped to shift the country's trade relations from the United States to the Soviet Union. Three years later, he was appointed minister of industry. Guevara left this post in 1965 to export the ideas of Cuba's revolution to other parts of the world. In 1966, he began to try to incite the people of Bolivia to rebel against their government, but had little success. With only a small guerrilla force to support his efforts, Guevara was captured and killed in La Higuera by the Bolivian army on October 9, 1967.

Since his death, Guevara has become a legendary political figure. His name is often equated with rebellion, revolution, and socialism. Others, however, still remember that he could be ruthless and ordered prisoners executed without trial in Cuba. Guevara's life continues to be a subject of great public interest and been explored and portrayed in numerous books and films, including The Motorcycle Diaries (2004).

23rd vice president of the USA Adlai Stevenson 1835 – 1914

(born Oct. 23, 1835, Christian County, Ky., U.S.—died June 14, 1914, Chicago, Ill.) 23rd vice president of the United States (1893–97) in the Democratic administration of President Grover Cleveland.

Stevenson was the son of John Turner Stevenson, a tobacco farmer, and Eliza Ann Ewing. After studying law, he began his practice in Metamora, Ill. Stimulated by the famous Lincoln–Douglas Debates, which took place during the Illinois senatorial campaign of 1858, he became active in local and national politics and was appointed to his first public office as a master in chancery of Woodford County's circuit court in 1860, a position he held throughout the American Civil War. He served as a presidential elector for General George McClellan, the failed Democratic Party candidate in the 1864 presidential election. In 1865 he was elected state's attorney and twice won election to the United States House of Representatives (1875–77; 1879–81), where he favoured low tariffs and a soft-money policy. He also played a conspicuous role in the congressional debate over the disputed presidential election of 1876 between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden, which was decided by a special Electoral Commission.

As first assistant postmaster general under President Cleveland (1885–89), Stevenson received the enmity of the Republican Party for his removal of thousands of Republican postmasters throughout the country. After unsuccessfully seeking the vice-presidential nomination in 1888, Stevenson was named associate justice of the Supreme Court for the District of Columbia, though the Republican-controlled Senate blocked his nomination. When Cleveland was renominated in 1892, Stevenson was selected as the vice-presidential candidate who could best unite all factions of the party. As vice president, he strongly supported Cleveland's policies and won wide admiration for his impartiality as presiding officer of the Senate. After failing to capture the Democratic nomination in 1896, he was appointed by President William McKinley to serve as chairman of a commission sent to Europe to work for international bimetallism. Afterward he ran unsuccessfully for vice president (1900) and for governor of Illinois (1908). His grandson, Adlai Ewing Stevenson II, served as a governor of Illinois and was twice an unsuccessful candidate for president (1952 and 1956).

Politician Eleanor Holmes Norton 1938

Civil rights activist, politician. Born June 13, 1937 in Washington, D.C. A graduate of Antioch College, Yale University and Yale University Law School, Norton worked in private practice before becoming assistant director of the American Civil Liberties Union (1965–70) where she defended both Julian Bond's and George Wallace's freedom-of-speech rights.

As Chairman of the New York Human Rights Commission (1970–7), Norton championed women's rights and anti-block-busting legislation. She then went to Washington to chair the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (1977–83), and in 1982 became a law professor at Georgetown University.

In 1990, Norton was elected as a Democratic non-voting delegate to the House from the District of Columbia. Currently under scrutiny, the DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act (or DC Vote) would give one vote to the District of Columbia in the House of Representatives, but not the Senate. Norton is a regular panelist on the PBS women's news program To the Contrary.

Political Leader Medgar Evers 1925 – 1963

Civil rights activist. Born July 2, 1925, in Decatur, Mississippi. After growing up in a Mississippi farming family, Evers enlisted in the United States Army in 1943. He fought in both France and Germany during World War II before receiving an honorable discharge in 1946. In 1948, he entered Alcorn Agricutural and Mechanical College (now Alcorn State University) in Lorman, Mississippi. During his senior year, Evers married a fellow student, Myrlie Beasley; they later had three children: Darrell, Reena, and James.

Upon graduation from college in 1952, Evers moved to Philadelphia, Mississippi, where he began working as an insurance salesman. He and his older brother, Charles Evers, also worked on behalf of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), organizing local affiliates in Philadelphia.

In 1954, the year of the momentous Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, which purportedly ended segregation of schools, Medgar quit the insurance business; he subsequently applied and was denied admission to the University of Mississippi Law School. His unsuccessful effort to integrate the state’s oldest public educational institution attracted the attention of the NAACP’s national office. Later that year, Evers moved to the state capital of Jackson and became the first state field secretary of the NAACP in Mississippi.

As state field secretary, Evers recruited members throughout Mississippi and organized voter-registration efforts, demonstrations, and economic boycotts of white-owned companies that practiced discrimination. He also worked to investigate crimes perpetrated against blacks, most notably the lynching of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American boy who had allegedly been killed for talking to a white woman.

As early as 1955, Evers’ activism made him the most visible civil rights leader in the state of Missisippi. As a result, he and his family were subjected to numerous threats and violent actions over the years, including a firebombing of their house in May 1963. At 12:40 a.m. on June 12, 1963, Evers was shot in the back in the driveway of his home in Jackson. He died less than a hour later at a nearby hospital.

Evers was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery, and the NAACP posthumously awarded him their 1963 Spingarn Medal. The national outrage over Evers' murder increased support for legislation that would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Immediately after Evers' death, the NAACP appointed his brother Charles to his position. Charles Evers went on to become a major political figure in the state; in 1969, he was elected the mayor of Fayette, Mississippi, becoming the first African-American mayor of a racially mixed Southern town since the Reconstruction.

A police and FBI investigation of the murder quickly unearthed a prime suspect--Byron De La Beckwith, a white segregationist and founding member of Mississippi's White Citizens Council. Despite mounting evidence against him, a rifle found near the crime scene was registered to Beckwith and had his fingerprints on the scope, and several witnesses placed him in the area—Beckwith denied shooting Evers. He maintained that the gun had been stolen, and produced several witnesses to testify that he was elsewhere on the night of the murder.