Self-Immolations as Protests

A list of people who lit themselves on fire as a form of activism or protest, typically for political reasons. "Self-immolation" is the technical term for setting one's self on fire, though it is typically used when the purpose of the act is a protest or for martyrdom, as opposed to insanity or other personal reasons. (The term "immolate" comes from a Latin word that implies ritual sacrifice.)

Though the practice rose to international prominence during the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, when images of Buddhist monks immolating themselves introduced the concept to the larger world, the act of self-immolation in protest goes back hundreds of years in some cultures, particularly those of India. (There are also accounts of Russian martyrs committing what was called "fire baptism" in the 17th Century, and scattered reports of Jesuit priests in France engaging in the behavior at roughly the same time.)

This list contains all self-immolation acts reported by the media from 1963 until the present, all for political or activist purposes.