SOCIAL ACTIVIST
Ken Saro-Wiwa
1941 - 1995

Ken Saro-Wiwa
Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa (10 October 1941 – 10 November 1995) was a Nigerian writer, teacher, television producer, and social rights activist. A member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in the Niger Delta whose homeland, Ogoniland, has been targeted for crude oil extraction since the 1950s and has suffered extreme environmental damage from decades of indiscriminate petroleum waste dumping. Initially as a spokesperson, and then as the president, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Saro-Wiwa led a nonviolent campaign against environmental degradation of the land and waters of Ogoniland by the operations of the multiple international oil companies, especially the Royal Dutch Shell company. He criticized the Nigerian government for its reluctance to enforce environmental regulations on the foreign petroleum companies operating in the area. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Ken Saro-Wiwa is the 309th most popular social activist (down from 296th in 2019), the 21st most popular biography from Nigeria (down from 15th in 2019) and the most popular Nigerian Social Activist.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Ken Saro-Wiwa by language
Among SOCIAL ACTIVISTS
Among social activists, Ken Saro-Wiwa ranks 309 out of 840. Before him are Lucio Urtubia, Louise Bryant, Anna Hazare, Johannes Kleiman, Túpac Katari, and Khudiram Bose. After him are Martin Guerre, Hanns Martin Schleyer, Kazimierz Świątek, Mohamed Bouazizi, Yagan, and Ashin Wirathu.
Most Popular Social Activists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsLucio Urtubia
1931 - 2020
HPI: 61.16
Rank: 303
Louise Bryant
1885 - 1936
HPI: 61.16
Rank: 304
Anna Hazare
1937 - Present
HPI: 61.09
Rank: 305
Johannes Kleiman
1896 - 1959
HPI: 61.08
Rank: 306
Túpac Katari
1750 - 1781
HPI: 61.08
Rank: 307
Khudiram Bose
1889 - 1908
HPI: 61.02
Rank: 308
Ken Saro-Wiwa
1941 - 1995
HPI: 61.00
Rank: 309
Martin Guerre
1524 - Present
HPI: 60.98
Rank: 310
Hanns Martin Schleyer
1915 - 1977
HPI: 60.97
Rank: 311
Kazimierz Świątek
1914 - 2011
HPI: 60.97
Rank: 312
Mohamed Bouazizi
1984 - 2011
HPI: 60.94
Rank: 313
Yagan
1800 - 1833
HPI: 60.84
Rank: 314
Ashin Wirathu
1968 - Present
HPI: 60.82
Rank: 315
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1941, Ken Saro-Wiwa ranks 237. Before him are Eric Braeden, George Pell, Wilson Pickett, Christopher Connelly, Jiří Raška, and George P. Cosmatos. After him are Bob Wilson, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Sarah Miles, Charles Whitman, Lynne Cheney, and Prince William of Gloucester. Among people deceased in 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa ranks 123. Before him are Józef Maria Bocheński, Sergio Bertoni, Giancarlo Baghetti, Heinrich Sutermeister, Lev Polugaevsky, and Viveca Lindfors. After him are Madge Sinclair, Werner Liebrich, Khalid Bakdash, Abdul Ali Mazari, Erik Nilsson, and Katarina Taikon.
Others Born in 1941
Go to all RankingsEric Braeden
ACTOR
1941 - Present
HPI: 61.23
Rank: 231
George Pell
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1941 - 2023
HPI: 61.19
Rank: 232
Wilson Pickett
SINGER
1941 - 2006
HPI: 61.15
Rank: 233
Christopher Connelly
ACTOR
1941 - 1988
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 234
Jiří Raška
SKIER
1941 - 2012
HPI: 61.09
Rank: 235
George P. Cosmatos
FILM DIRECTOR
1941 - 2005
HPI: 61.03
Rank: 236
Ken Saro-Wiwa
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1941 - 1995
HPI: 61.00
Rank: 237
Bob Wilson
SOCCER PLAYER
1941 - Present
HPI: 60.97
Rank: 238
Anna Tomowa-Sintow
SINGER
1941 - Present
HPI: 60.94
Rank: 239
Sarah Miles
ACTOR
1941 - Present
HPI: 60.90
Rank: 240
Charles Whitman
EXTREMIST
1941 - 1966
HPI: 60.87
Rank: 241
Lynne Cheney
POLITICIAN
1941 - Present
HPI: 60.78
Rank: 242
Prince William of Gloucester
POLITICIAN
1941 - 1972
HPI: 60.71
Rank: 243
Others Deceased in 1995
Go to all RankingsJózef Maria Bocheński
PHILOSOPHER
1902 - 1995
HPI: 61.13
Rank: 117
Sergio Bertoni
COACH
1915 - 1995
HPI: 61.07
Rank: 118
Giancarlo Baghetti
RACING DRIVER
1934 - 1995
HPI: 61.05
Rank: 119
Heinrich Sutermeister
COMPOSER
1910 - 1995
HPI: 61.04
Rank: 120
Lev Polugaevsky
CHESS PLAYER
1934 - 1995
HPI: 61.04
Rank: 121
Viveca Lindfors
ACTOR
1920 - 1995
HPI: 61.00
Rank: 122
Ken Saro-Wiwa
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1941 - 1995
HPI: 61.00
Rank: 123
Madge Sinclair
ACTOR
1938 - 1995
HPI: 60.85
Rank: 124
Werner Liebrich
SOCCER PLAYER
1927 - 1995
HPI: 60.71
Rank: 125
Khalid Bakdash
POLITICIAN
1912 - 1995
HPI: 60.66
Rank: 126
Abdul Ali Mazari
POLITICIAN
1946 - 1995
HPI: 60.41
Rank: 127
Erik Nilsson
SOCCER PLAYER
1916 - 1995
HPI: 60.39
Rank: 128
Katarina Taikon
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1932 - 1995
HPI: 60.34
Rank: 129
In Nigeria
Among people born in Nigeria, Ken Saro-Wiwa ranks 21 out of 309. Before him are Bola Tinubu (1952), Jay-Jay Okocha (1973), John Obi Mikel (1987), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (1954), Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (1951), and Sani Abacha (1943). After him are Moshood Abiola (1937), Hakeem Olajuwon (1963), Olaudah Equiano (1745), Amos Tutuola (1920), Yakubu Gowon (1934), and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (1977).
Others born in Nigeria
Go to all RankingsBola Tinubu
POLITICIAN
1952 - Present
HPI: 63.71
Rank: 15
Jay-Jay Okocha
SOCCER PLAYER
1973 - Present
HPI: 63.13
Rank: 16
John Obi Mikel
SOCCER PLAYER
1987 - Present
HPI: 62.75
Rank: 17
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
ECONOMIST
1954 - Present
HPI: 62.29
Rank: 18
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua
POLITICIAN
1951 - 2010
HPI: 61.59
Rank: 19
Sani Abacha
POLITICIAN
1943 - 1998
HPI: 61.21
Rank: 20
Ken Saro-Wiwa
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1941 - 1995
HPI: 61.00
Rank: 21
Moshood Abiola
POLITICIAN
1937 - 1998
HPI: 60.70
Rank: 22
Hakeem Olajuwon
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1963 - Present
HPI: 60.08
Rank: 23
Olaudah Equiano
WRITER
1745 - 1797
HPI: 59.98
Rank: 24
Amos Tutuola
WRITER
1920 - 1997
HPI: 59.88
Rank: 25
Yakubu Gowon
POLITICIAN
1934 - Present
HPI: 59.31
Rank: 26
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
WRITER
1977 - Present
HPI: 59.02
Rank: 27
Among SOCIAL ACTIVISTS In Nigeria
Among social activists born in Nigeria, Ken Saro-Wiwa ranks 1. After him are Ibrahim Zakzaky (1953), and Adenike Oladosu (1994).
Ken Saro-Wiwa
1941 - 1995
HPI: 61.00
Rank: 1
Ibrahim Zakzaky
1953 - Present
HPI: 55.40
Rank: 2
Adenike Oladosu
1994 - Present
HPI: 36.54
Rank: 3