Alva Myrdal

Born Alva Reimer on 31 January 1902, she trained as a sociologist before shifting into diplomacy and politics. She married Gunnar Myrdal in 1924; fifty years later he won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, setting them apart as the first couple to earn Nobels independently rather than sharing one. Her own work centered on arms control, where she became a prominent voice urging nations to step back from nuclear brinkmanship. That effort earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1982, shared with Alfonso García Robles. She died the following year, on 1 February 1986.