9. Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa, born on September 29, 1943, in Popowo, Poland, was a shipyard electrician who became a prominent labor leader. In August 1980, he led the Gdańsk Shipyard strike, resulting in the formation of Solidarity, the first independent trade union in the Soviet bloc. Despite facing government repression, Wałęsa’s leadership contributed to the peaceful end of Communist rule in Poland. In 1983, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent struggle for free trade unions and human rights. (nobelprize.org)
