June 18

Jeanne Mance (1606–1673) was a French nurse and settler who co-founded the city of Ville-Marie, now Montreal. In 1645, she established the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, the first hospital in North America north of Mexico. Mance provided medical care and compassion to early colonists and Indigenous peoples under harsh conditions. She tirelessly sought support and funding from France to sustain the hospital and its staff. Her dedication to health care laid the foundation for the Canadian medical system. Today, she is remembered as a pioneering figure in North American healthcare and community building.

Born Archduchess Maria Amalia in 1746 as a daughter of Empress Maria Theresa, she married Duke Ferdinand of Parma in 1769. In Parma, she championed arts and education, commissioning new buildings and sponsoring scholars. Amalia's court became a center of Enlightenment culture in Italy. She maintained correspondence with leading intellectuals and advocated for moderate reforms. During the French Revolutionary Wars, she escaped the advancing forces and lived in exile. She died in 1804, remembered for her patronage and progressive courtly influence.

Prince Sigismund of Prussia was born in 1864 to Crown Prince Frederick William and Princess Victoria, granddaughter of Queen Victoria. As a child of the Prussian royal family, he was a symbol of dynastic continuity in the German Empire. Sigismund's life was cut short when he died of meningitis in 1866, just two years old. His death caused deep sorrow in the imperial household and added to the period's personal tragedies. Though his time was brief, his memory remained part of Hohenzollern family history.

Born in Chicago in 1934, Berg earned his law degree and practiced civil rights law before transitioning to broadcasting. He became a pioneering talk radio host in Denver, known for his outspoken, confrontational style that challenged bigotry and political extremism. His fearless interviews attracted both acclaim and controversy, making his show a platform for passionate public debate. On June 18, 1984, he was tragically assassinated outside his home, a murder that drew national attention to issues of free speech and hate crimes. Berg's life and work continue to be remembered for their impact on American talk radio and the conversation around media responsibility.

Born in Lagos in 1910, Kofoworola Abeni Pratt trained in London and Edinburgh before returning to Nigeria to advance nursing education. She broke racial and colonial barriers by becoming Nigeria's first black Chief Nursing Officer in 1960. Pratt established training programs that professionalized nursing across the country and improved public health standards. She also advocated for women's leadership in healthcare and served on international nursing councils. Pratt's contributions laid the foundation for modern nursing practice in Nigeria before her death in 1992.

Born in Milwaukee in 1940, Craig Rodwell became a prominent figure in early gay liberation movements. He co-organized protests and was the driving force behind the first Gay Pride march in New York City. In 1967, Rodwell opened the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop, creating a safe space for LGBT writers and readers. His advocacy extended to publishing, education, and legal challenges against discriminatory laws. Rodwell's bookstore remained a cornerstone of queer culture until his death in 1993.

Born in 1923, Bonner emerged as a key figure in the Soviet dissident movement, advocating for political freedoms and civil rights. She co-founded the Moscow Helsinki Group to monitor human rights violations and provided support to prisoners of conscience. Despite facing arrest and internal exile, Bonner continued her activism, drawing international attention to Soviet abuses. After her husband's return from exile, the couple remained vocal critics of government repression. Bonner's courageous efforts earned her global respect, and she later served as a member of Russia's Presidential Council on Human Rights. Her legacy endures as a champion of moral courage.

Lina Haag was born in 1907 in Germany and became involved in anti-fascist activism. During World War II, she was arrested by the Gestapo and endured harsh imprisonment in concentration camps. Despite her suffering, she maintained hope and later documented her experiences in her acclaimed memoir. Her writings offered a powerful personal perspective on the horrors of Nazism and the resilience of the human spirit. After the war, she continued to advocate for human rights and remembrance of the atrocities. She remains remembered as a courageous voice of survival and testimony.

Michael Hastings was born in 1980 in Malone, New York and began his career covering politics. He rose to fame with his book 'I Lost My Love in Baghdad,' chronicling his time in Iraq. His 2010 Rolling Stone article 'The Runaway General' led to the dismissal of General Stanley McChrystal. Hastings continued to write critically acclaimed books including 'The Operators', detailing the war on terror. He was known for his fearless style and ability to expose high-level military and political figures. Beyond writing, he contributed to outlets such as BuzzFeed and hosted the podcast 'Warriors in the Garden.' Hastings died in a car crash in 2013, leaving a legacy as a bold voice in modern journalism.

Jeppiaar was an Indian education pioneer born in 1931, who established the Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology in 1980. Under his leadership, the institution gained university status and expanded its programs in engineering, management, and the arts. He was committed to making technical education accessible and was instrumental in creating scholarships for underprivileged students. Jeppiaar served as chancellor, guiding academic excellence and research initiatives. He authored articles on educational policy and contributed to national committees on higher education. His philanthropic efforts included supporting community development and healthcare projects in Chennai. He passed away in 2016, leaving a transformative legacy in Indian higher education.