5 Longest Hunger Strikes In History

Food is one of life's most taken for granted commodities, and most people reading this article right now will have access to it in one form or another. In today's society, it's almost inconceivable to think about going a day without it. But, imagine not only going days without a single meal, but weeks on end with no sustenance, and then imagine going through this ordeal by choice! Here are five of the longest hunger strikes in history.

Cesar Chavez - 36 Days

Cesar Chavez was born into a poor working class Mexican family in 1927.

Chavez learned early in his life that nothing would be handed to him, and he spent much of his early life working in various farming jobs in California and Arizona. However, Chavez was appalled at the treatment he and his fellow migrant workers received in the U.S, being treated more like slave labour than a valued workforce.

In 1962 Chavez decided to try and change things, he founded the national farm workers association and began to hold rallies and protests, soon gathering thousands of supporters. But, change still didn't come, so he decided to take things to a new level.

Chavez staged several hunger strikes to draw attention to his plight, the longest of which lasted 36 days and resulted in him losing 30 pounds.

Chavez died in 1993, as he has since been commemorated as a hero for his charity work and his highlighting of the issues facing migrant workers.

Solange Fernex - 40 Day

Born in 1934 France, Solange Fernex became one of the most influential politicians the country has ever seen. Her main policy was to increase awareness of the impact that nuclear power was having on the environment, as well as the potential devastation that reactor disasters could wreak.

To raise awareness...