Table of Contents
Fast Facts
Media
Related Biographies
-
Sylvia RiveraAmerican activist -
Larry KramerAmerican writer -
Harry HayAmerican activist -
José SarriaAmerican drag performer and activist
Harvey Milk
American politician and activist
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Also known as: Harvey Bernard Milk
Harvey Milk
- Born:
- May 22, 1930 New York
- Died:
- November 27, 1978 (aged 48) San Francisco California
- Awards And Honors:
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009)
Harvey Milk, in full Harvey Bernard Milk, (born May 22, 1930, Woodmere, Long Island, New York, U.S.—died November 27, 1978, San Francisco, California), American politician and gay-rights activist. After graduating from the New York State College for Teachers in Albany (1951), Milk served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and received an “other than honorable” discharge in 1955 for having engaged in sexual acts with other enlisted men. He held several jobs before becoming a financial analyst in New York. In 1972 he moved to San Francisco, where he opened a camera store and soon gained a following ...(100 of 425 words)