In the spring of 1954, Nicholas Winton was running an unsuccessful campaign for a local council seat in Maidenhead, a quiet town just west of London. His campaign leaflet seemed ordinary enough, with a photo, a brief platform, and some personal details.
But tucked between hobbies and career highlights was a single line that hinted at something remarkable: “After Munich evacuated 600 refugee children from Czechoslovakia.” Most readers probably skimmed past it, yet behind those eight words was a forgotten act of extraordinary courage: in the months before World War II, Winton helped rescue 669 children from the Nazis.
Click through to learn how a modest act of heroism saved hundreds of lives
from the shadow of war.