India

c599-527 BCE - Mahavira - Established the central tenets of Jainism including non-violence toward all living beings. P

c563-483 BCE - Siddhartha Gautama - The Buddha. Described Nirvana as the perfect peace of a mind that's free from ignorance, greed, hatred & other "defilements." P

c304–232 BCE - Ashoka - Emperor. Devotee of ahimsa (nonviolence), love, truth, tolerance & vegetarianism. P

1851-1939 - Henry Stephens Salt - Writer & campaigner for prison, schools, economic, & animal treatment reform. Introduced Mahatma Gandhi to works of Henry David Thoreau. P

1861-1941 - Rabindranath Tagore - Bengali polymath. Reshaped literature & music. First non-European to win Nobel Prize in Literature. 1913

1863-1902 - Swami Vivekananda - Introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions at Chicago (USA) in 1893.

1869-1948 - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - Leader of Indian independence movement. Pioneer of satyagraha. P Posthumous

1874-1947 - Nicholas Roerich - Artist, mystic, philosopher, scientist, writer, traveler & public figure. Created Banner of Peace. 1935

1879-1964 - John Haynes Holmes - Minister & social activist. Declared Gandhi "The Greatest Man in the World" in April 1921.

1885-1968 - Muriel Lester - Operated "settlement house (Kingsley Hall) in London (where Gandhi stayed in 1931). P

1885-1985 - Nichidatsu Fujii - Founded the Nipponzan-Myohoji order of Buddhism. Called Guruji by Gandhi. Click here for Peace Pagodas.

1886-1967 - Radhabinod Pal - Jurist. Only dissenter on Japanese war crimes tribunal in 1946. Honored at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.

1889-1952 - Stafford Cripps - Labour politicial & ambassador. Opposed appeasement with Nazi Germany. Negotiated with Gandhi in India. P

1892-1982 - Madeleine Slade - Called Mirabehn by Gandhi. Daughter of Rear-Admiral Sir Edmond Slade. Spent much of her adult life in India as a devotee of Gandhi.

1894-1983 - Ghanshyam Das Birla - "Dean" of Indian industry. Built Birla Mandir/Birla Temple w/Gandhi in 1939 for all people including harijan/untouchables.

1895-1982 - Vinova Bhave - Advocate of nonviolence & human rights. Considered to be spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi.

1895-1986 - Jiddu Krishnamurti - Writer & speaker on philosophical & spiritual issues.

1896-1984 - Ralph T. Templin - Missionary & teacher. Acquainted with Gandhi in India, Ralph Borsodi in New York & Arthur Morgan in Ohio. P

1902-1979 - Jayaprakash (JP) Narayan - Gandhian independence activist & political leader. Led opposition to Indira Gandhi.

1910-1997 - Mother Teresa - Albanian nun. Founded Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta. Click here for Wikipedia biography. 1979 1985 Year?

1911-1960 - Krishnalal Shridharani - Gandhian. On Salt March in 1930. Wrote "War Without Violence" in 1939. Influenced CORE.

1917-1984 - Barbara Deming - Writer. Gandhian. Open lesbian. "Created a body of non-violent theory centered on the women's movement."

1924-1997 - Danilo Dolci - Sociologist, educator & poet. Opposed poverty & the Mafia. Promoted non-violence. Called "The Gandhi of Sicily."

1928-Alive - Gene Sharp - "The greatest theorist of nonviolence since Gandhi." 2008

1929-Alive - Krishna Ahooja-Patel - Gandhian. Worked for Intl Labor Organization 1962-1987. President of WILPF.

1931-2007 - Sri Chinmoy Kumar Ghose - Spiritual teacher, philosopher, poet, artist & athlete. Many monuments.

1933-Alive - Ela Ramesh Bhatt - Founded Self-Employed Women's Assn (SEWA) in 1972. Recd Niwano Peace Prize in 2010.

1934-Alive - Peter Dougherty - Catholic priest. Founded Michigan Peace Team in 1993. Received 'Intl Award for promoting Gandhian values outside India.'

1934-Alive - Arun Gandhi - Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. Founded M.K. Gandhi Institute of Nonviolence (USA). Year?

1935-Alive - 14th Dalai Lama - Spiritual leader. Exiled from Tibet in 1959. 1989 Year? 2009

1935-Alive - Rajmohan Gandhi - Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. Wrote "Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, His People..."

1940-Alive - Ela Gandhi - Granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi. Dedicated peace monument in Independence (USA). 2002

c1945-Alive - Kali P. Chaudhuri - Doctor. Owns hospitals & KPC Group of Companies. Donated Gandhi Statue in Riverside, California, in 2005.

1949-Alive - Kiran Bedi - Social activist. First woman officer in Indian Police Service (IPS).

1952-Alive - Vandana Shiva - Ecofeminist. Founded Navdanya in Northern India. Leader of Intl. Forum on Globalization. 1993

1956-Alive - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar - Exponent of Advaita Vedanta & spiritual leader of Art of Living Foundation.

1957-Alive - Peter Rühe - Scholar. Foremost Gandhian activist. Founded & heads Ganditopia & GandhiServe Foundation.