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Aristides and his twin brother César Sousa Mendes were born in Cabanas de Viriato , a small village in the district of Viseu. They moved to Lisbon and graduated in Law in 1907. Both pursued a diplomatic career, which lead Aristides to occupy several Portuguese consular delegations all over the world. After almost 10 years of dedicated and awarded service in Belgium, Salazar (the Portuguese fascist dictator) gives Sousa Mendes the consulate of Bordeaux in France.
The consul was still in Bordeaux in the outbreak of World War II, the invasion of France by the Nazi army of Hitler and the persecution of the Jews. Salazar managed to maintain Portugal's neutrality in the war, but his own personal opinions favoured Hitler. Thus, it was in clear disrespect of the hierarchy that Sousa Mendes issued about 30,000 visas to Jews and other persecuted minorities. He saved an enormous number of lives, but risked his career for it. In 19411941 is also the title of a Steven Spielberg movie made in 1979 see 1941 (film). Events January January 6 Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms Speech in the State of the Union Address. January 10 Lend-Lease is introduced into the United St, Salazar removed the political trust in Sousa Mendes and forced the diplomat to quit his career. He died in poverty in 1954.
People who received one of these special visas include:
In 1967Events January January 4 British motorboat racer Donald Campbell dies while attempting a water speed record in Coniston Lake. January 4 Algerian revolutionary Mohammed Khider is shot in Madrid. January 6 Vietnam War: USMC and ARVN troops launch " Operatio he was honored at IsraelThis article discusses the State of Israel. For other meanings of Israel see Israel (disambiguation). The State of Israel Medinat Yisrael in Hebrew, Daulat Israil in Arabic) is a country in the Middle East on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea.'s Yad VashemYad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust established in 1953 through the Memorial Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament. It consists of a memorial chamber, a historical museum, an art gallery, a Hall of Name memorial to the HolocaustThis article deals with the Nazi Holocaust. For other meanings of the word Holocaust see Holocaust (disambiguation Concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust The Holocaust refers to Nazi Germany's systematic genocide of various ethnic, religious, nat as one of the "Righteous Among The Nations". In 19871987 is a common year starting on Thursday. Events January January 1 Nunavut's capital changes it name to Iqaluit from Frobisher Bay. January 3 Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. January 4 An Amtrak train, the Portuguese Republic rehabilited his memory and granted a postumous Order of Liberty medal . In 1994 former President Mário Soares inaugurated a bust of Sousa Mendes in Bordeaux.