SOCIAL ACTIVISTS from Brazil

Top 4

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Brazilian Social Activists of all time. This list of famous Brazilian Social Activists is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Chico Mendes (1944 - 1988)

With an HPI of 59.59, Chico Mendes is the most famous Brazilian Social Activist.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages on wikipedia.

Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, better known as Chico Mendes (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʃiku ˈmẽdʒis]; 15 December 1944 – 22 December 1988), was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader, and environmentalist. He fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and advocated for the human rights of Brazilian peasants and Indigenous people. He was assassinated by a rancher on 22 December 1988. The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade or ICMBio), a body under the jurisdiction of the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, is named in his honor.

2. Tiradentes (1746 - 1792)

With an HPI of 57.84, Tiradentes is the 2nd most famous Brazilian Social Activist.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Joaquim José da Silva Xavier (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒoa'kĩ ʒo'zɛ da 'siwvɐ ʃavi'ɛɾ]; 12 November 1746 – 21 April 1792), known as Tiradentes (pronounced [tʃiɾɐˈdẽtʃis]), was a leading member of the colonial Brazilian revolutionary movement known as the Inconfidência Mineira, whose aim was full independence from Portuguese rule and the creation of a republic. When the conspirators plot was uncovered by authorities, Tiradentes was arrested, tried and publicly hanged. Since the advent of the Brazilian Republic, Tiradentes has been considered a national hero of Brazil and patron of the Military Police.

3. Lampião (1897 - 1938)

With an HPI of 52.88, Lampião is the 3rd most famous Brazilian Social Activist.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

"Captain" Virgulino Ferreira da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [viʁɡulĩnu feˈʁejɾɐ da ˈsiwvɐ]; 7 June 1897 – 28 July 1938), better known as Lampião (older spelling: Lampeão, Portuguese pronunciation: [lɐ̃piˈɐ̃w], meaning "lantern" or "oil lamp"), was probably the twentieth century's most successful traditional bandit leader. The banditry endemic to the Brazilian Northeast was called Cangaço. Cangaço had origins in the late 19th century but was particularly prevalent in the 1920s and 1930s. Lampião led a band of up to 100 cangaceiros, who occasionally took over small towns and who fought a number of successful actions against paramilitary police when heavily outnumbered. Lampião's exploits and reputation turned him into a folk hero, the Brazilian equivalent of Jesse James or Pancho Villa. His image, as well as that of his partner Maria Bonita, can be seen across the entirety of the Northeast of Brazil.

4. Josué de Castro (1908 - 1973)

With an HPI of 47.74, Josué de Castro is the 4th most famous Brazilian Social Activist.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Josué de Castro, born Josué Apolônio de Castro (5 September 1908 – 24 September 1973), was a Brazilian physician, nutritionist, geographer, writer, public administrator, and activist against world hunger. His book Geopolitics of Hunger was granted The Franklin D. Roosevelt Foundation Award, in 1952. Two years later, he received the International Peace Prize.