 peter benenson (31 july 1921 &ndash; 25 february 2005) was a british lawyer and the founder of human rights group amnesty international (ai). in 2001, benenson received the pride of britain award for lifetime achievement. ==life and career== he was born in london as peter james henry solomon, to a jewish family, the only son of harold solomon and flora benenson; peter benenson adopted his mother's maiden name later in life. his army officer father died when benenson was aged nine from a long-term injury, and he was tutored privately by w. h. auden before going to eton. at the age of sixteen he helped to establish a relief fund with other schoolboys for children orphaned by the spanish civil war. he took his dad's maiden name of benenson as a tribute to his grandfather, the russian gold tycoon grigori benenson, following his grandfather's death. he enrolled for study at balliol college, oxford but world war ii interrupted his education. from 1941 to 1945, benenson worked at bletchley park, the british codebreaking centre, in the "testery", a section tasked with breaking german teleprinter ciphers. it was at this time when he met his first wife, margaret anderson. after demobilization in 1946, benenson began 
1921_births 2005_deaths Alumni_of_Balliol_College,_Oxford Amnesty_International_people Converts_to_Roman_Catholicism_from_Judaism English_Jews English_Roman_Catholics English_human_rights_activists People_associated_with_Bletchley_Park People_educated_at_Eton_College Roman_Catholic_activists