October 13

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Women peacemakers born today

  • 1808 Caroline Weston born Weymouth, MA (d. 1882). Pioneering supporter of world's first nonviolence society, Boston, 1838; abolitionist; school mistress.

  • 1881 Eugénie Cotton born Soubise, Charente-Maritime, France  (d. 1967). French scientist, feminist, peace advocate; founding president pacifist Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF) Paris 1945, dedicated to peace, anti-fascism, anti-imperialism; Resistance to Nazis WWII; arrested for resistance to draft for Vietnam War 1950; opposed Algerian War; Stalin Peace Prize 1951; World Peace Council gold medal 1961.

  • 1901 Edith Sampson born Pittsburgh, PA (d. 1971). American diplomat; first African-American delegate to UN, 1950; first African-American judge, 1962.

  • 1935 Mary Hamilton Wesley born Cedar Rapids, IA (d. 2002). Freedom Rider; led resistance in Parchman Prison; second female CORE Field Secretary, 1961; first female CORE Southern Regional Director, 1963. Miss Mary case won in Supreme Court, 1963.

  • 1944 Charlotte Bunch born Artesia, NM. Feminist; opponent of Vietnam War; founder of Center for Women's Global Leadership, 1989; Human rights advocate at UN.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1905 Start of militant phase of British suffrage movement. Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kenney interrupted Prime Minister: "Will the Liberal Government give votes to women?"

  • 1908 “Rush on Parliament” by suffragists met by 5,000 police.

  • 1922 Grace Abbott appointed first unofficial US representative to League of Nations, Geneva.

  • 1962 Helen Joseph became the first person sentenced to house arrest under the South African Sabotage Act.

  • 1975 Whina Cooper led nonviolent protest for Maori rights at New Zealand parliament.

  • 2007 Protest in Shanghai by US winners of Victoria Cup Bridge World Championship.

  • 2008 Heartbeat for Peace drum gathering at Elipse by White House by 13 Indigenous grandmothers and Turtle Women Rising.

  • 2011 Alli McCracken arrested at Capitol for sign: "Fund My Education, Not Your Wars."

  • 2012 Maya Evans completed an eight-day, 90-mile Drones Peace Walk from the Elbit factory to RAF Waddington, England's first armed drone base.