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| 1958 | Amnesty International |  |
| Benenson's conversion to Roman Catholicism influenced him towards a new internationalist thinking based upon Chris tianity and the teachings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in which injustice must be struggled against regardless of where it occurs or to |
| Upon Benenson's return to London in later 1960 after an extended holiday in Italy, he and Eric Baker begin work on creating an organization which reflects their collective thinking |
| 1960 | Amnesty International | |
| 19th Nov Benenson stumbles across an article in The Daily Telegraph about two Portuguese students imprisoned for a simple 'toast to freedom' while riding the tube, Enraged at the injustice, Benenson begins an international organization |
| 1961 | Amnesty International | |
| Amnesty International is born from Peter Benenson's long history of communist party support that had begun at Eton during the Spanish Civil War, where he organized aid for Basque Orphanages and became radicalised in favour of the Republicans |
| Benenson has a book published, "Persecution" , which details the cases of several prisoners of conscience investigated and compiled by Benenson and Baker |
| Founds Amnesty International for political prisoners |
| 28th May Benenson and Baker, in consultation with other writers, academics and lawyers, write via Louis Blom-Cooper to David Astor, editor of The Observer newspaper, who, on May 28, 1961, publishes Benenson's article The Forgotten Prisoners |
| 28th May Marks the launch of 'Appeal for Amnesty, 1961', the aim of which is to mobilize public opinion, quickly and widely, in defence of these individuals, and in particular communist party members, who Benenson named "Prisoners of Conscience" |
| July Amnesty International is founded by Peter Benenson, an English lawyer who had converted to Roman Catholicism in 1958 |
| July Benenson and his friend Alec Digges, an Irish communist, members of the International Brigade Association at the same address (2 Parton Street WC1, London) take control of the Amnesty shell |
| 30th Sep The leadership decide that the Amnesty appeal would form the basis of a permanent organization, which on 30 September 1962 is officially named 'Amnesty International' |
| 1961 | Appeal for Amnesty | |
| 28th May Marks the launch of 'Appeal for Amnesty, 1961', the aim of which is to mobilize public opinion, quickly and widely, in defence of these individuals, and in particular communist party members, who Benenson named "Prisoners of Conscience" |
| 1961 | Publication | |
| Benenson has a book published, "Persecution" , which details the cases of several prisoners of conscience investigated and compiled by Benenson and Baker |
| 2005 | Death | |
| Death of Peter Berenson |
