Guide Note:

Cindy Sheehan is an American anti-war activist whose son, Casey Sheehan, was killed in the Iraq War. She is an independent candidate for the House of Representatives in California's 8th District.

Fast Facts

1. Birth name: Cindy Lee Miller
2. Born: July 10, 1957
3. Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
4. Spouse: Patrick Sheehan, filed for divorce
5. Children: Four, including son, Casey Sheehan, deceased.

Key Dates

1. July 10, 1957: Born in Los Angeles, California
2. April 30, 1977: Marries Patrick Sheehan
3. May 29, 1979: Casey Sheehan born
4. April 4, 2004: Casey Sheehan killed in action in Iraq
5. June, 2004: With other military families, meets with President Bush at Crawford, Texas ranch
6. August 6, 2005: Begins camping near ranch at site later dubbed "Camp Casey"
7. January 31, 2006: Attends State of the Union speech; removed and arrested by Capitol Police for wearing anti-war shirt
8. January 6, 2007: Travels to Cuba to call for closing of Guantanamo Bay prison
9. May 2007: Says she is ending her involvement with anti-war movement to lead normal life
10. July 23, 2007: Announces campaign to run for Congress as independent against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Sheehan became an anti-war activist slowly. A skeptic of the war since its outset, it was not until after the death of her son in April, 2004, and after being invited along with other military families to meet President Bush at his Crawford, Texas ranch, that Sheehan began to publicly voice her opposition to the war and participate in protests. Sheehan's first public appearances were in conjunction with a traveling exhibition sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee called "Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War" which displayed the empty boots of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sheehan began appearing on television talk shows and news programs, increasingly blaming President Bush for the war and the death of her son.

In August, 2005, Sheehan made headlines by camping outside Bush's ranch for four weeks, during which time several celebrities, politicians, and activists visited her. This public display of anti-war activism brought Sheehan onto the national stage, and in the years since, she appeared at many rallies across the country. In 2006, she was invited to the State of the Union speech, but was arrested and prevented from attending the speech for wearing a shirt reading "2,245 Dead. How Many More?" In 2007, after briefly quitting her involvement in anti-war activities, she announced that she was running against Nancy Pelosi for the U.S. House seat representing California's 8th District.