Origins & Early Life

Shirin Ebadi (Persian: شيرين عبادى, romanized: Širin Ebādi; born 21 June 1947) is an Iranian Nobel laureate, lawyer, writer, teacher and a former judge and founder of the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. In 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her pioneering efforts for democracy and women's, children's, and refugee rights. She was the first Iranian to receive the award. She has lived in exile in London since 2009.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In March 2026, Iranian opposition leader Reza Pahlavi said that Ebadi would lead a committee to draft regulations for transitional justice in Iran, creating a framework for a court and fact-finding commission to address human rights violations under the Islamic Republic. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in 2026 by Time magazine. Ebadi was born in Hamedan into an educated family. Her mother was Minu Yamini, and father, Mohammad Ali Ebadi, was the city's chief notary public and a professor of commercial law. When she was an infant, her family moved to Tehran.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Before earning a law degree from the University of Tehran Ebadi attended Anoshiravn Dadgar and Reza Shah Kabir schools. She...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Al Capone — Contemporary (Died in 1947) (1947): Notorious American gangster and businessman during the Prohibition era.
• Alan Guth — Contemporary (Born in 1947) (1947): Pioneering cosmologist known for developing the theory of cosmic inflation.
• Alan Sugar — Contemporary (Born in 1947) (1947): Pioneering British entrepreneur, founder of Amstrad, and TV personality.
• Aloysius Gonzaga — Shared historical date (06-21 · Died) (1591): Italian Jesuit seminarian and saint, known for his aristocratic background and early death.
• Anders Jonas Ångström — Shared historical date (06-21 · Died) (1874): Pioneering Swedish physicist, founder of spectroscopy and astrophysics.
• Albert Brooks — Historical peer (Born in 1947) (1947): Versatile American actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter.
• Aleister Crowley — Historical peer (Died in 1947) (1947): Founder of Thelema, a major occultist, poet, and ceremonial magician.
• Alberto Sordi — Historical peer (Died in 2003) (2003): Pillar of Italian Cinema, master of Commedia all'italiana comedy.
• Althea Gibson — Historical peer (Died in 2003) (2003): Pioneering American tennis and golf star who broke racial barriers in sports.
• Aage Bohr — Historical peer (Died in 2009) (2009): Pioneering Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate for atomic structure theory.
• 1947 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1947
• June 21 (06-21) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on June 21