Helen Suzman is born

Politician and Anti-Apartheid activist, Helen Suzman, was born in Germiston, South Africa. During her 36 years in Parliament she defended the right to freedom of expression for all South Africans; with great courage she used every opportunity to speak out against discriminatory legislation. She entered politics when she represented the United Party (UP) in Parliament in 1953. Six years later she founded the Progressive Party (PP) and became its sole representative in Parliament. As a Member of Parliament she was able to visit prisons, among them Robben Island, where she inspected the living conditions of prisoners. She visited former President Nelson Mandela several times at Robben Island. When Nelson Mandela signed the new constitution in 1996, Suzman was along side him.  In the course of her career the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard have awarded her honorary doctorates. Her struggle against apartheid won her the United Nations Human Rights Award in 1978 and in 1980, the Medallion of Heroism. The Helen Suzman Foundation was been established to promote liberal democracy in South Africa.;