| Bertrand
Russell
(1872-1970) British
Philosopher, Historian, Social Reformer, Pacifist birthdate:
May 18
birthplace:
Ravenscroft,
Trelleck, Monmouthshire, Wales
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Bertrand
Russell was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, social reformer and
one of the world's best-known, although unconventional and controversial, intellectuals
of his time. A prolific writer, he wrote on a wide range of topics, often contrary
to the conventional thought of the time. Throughout his life, he was a prominent
anti-war activist, imprisoned for his pacifist writings during World War I, and
an inspiration for the younger generation during the Vietnam war, which he was
strongly against. Bertrand Russell was also a leader against nuclear proliferation.
In 1954 he delivered a famous broadcast on the BBC against nuclear bomb testing
in the Pacific, and in 1955, he and Albert Einstein released the Russell-Einstein
Manifesto, which called for the abolition of nuclear weapons. He helped found
and became the first president of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in
1958. That year, he commissioned an artist to design a peace symbol for an anti-nuclear
march CND was organizing. That symbol would become the icon of the 60's anti-war
movement and continues to be the internationally recognized symbol of peace. In
1950, Bertrand Russell received the Nobel Prize for Literature "in recognition
of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals
and freedom of thought." He continued to be a leading voice for social change
throughout his 97 years.
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