Tom Lantos

Date of Birth: February 1, 1928

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Date of Death: February 11, 2008

Biography

Tom Lantos was a distinguished American politician and diplomat who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from California. Born in Budapest, Hungary, Lantos survived the Holocaust due to his Jewish heritage and emigrated to the United States, where he became a vocal advocate for human rights. Over his career, he was known for his passionate defense of human dignity and his unwavering commitment to justice and liberty. Lantos was the only Holocaust survivor to have served in the U.S. Congress, a tenure that began in 1981 and lasted until his death in 2008. He was a member of the Democratic Party and represented California’s 11th and later 12th congressional districts. Lantos played a key role in the creation of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and was a leading voice on foreign policy issues, often focusing on countries with poor human rights records.

5 Interesting Facts about Tom Lantos

1. Tom Lantos was the only Holocaust survivor to serve in the U.S. Congress.

2. He founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1983.

3. Lantos was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 2008.

4. He played a significant role in leading the U.S. response to the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.

5. He was a staunch advocate for internet freedom and was critical of companies like Yahoo! and Google for their role in internet censorship in China.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Tom Lantos

1. “The veneer of civilization is very thin.”

2. “Human rights is the soul of our foreign policy, because human rights is the very soul of our sense of nationhood.”

3. “It is only in this century that we have become aware of the awful responsibility placed upon us.”

4. “We must not allow this generation to fail to understand the lessons of history.”

5. “The cause of human rights is the cause of our time.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Tom Lantos’s highest net worth is not publicly documented, but he was known more for his public service and human rights advocacy rather than personal wealth accumulation.

Children

Tom Lantos had two daughters, Annette Tillemann-Dick and Katrina Lantos Swett. Both have been involved in public service and human rights advocacy, continuing their father’s legacy.