Robert Cunningham Graham Born

Robert Bontine Cunningham Graham was born on May 24, 1852. A multifaceted and influential figure in Scottish political and literary life, he was:

-	The son of a Scottish laird, raised in aristocratic surroundings.
-	A radical politician who first entered Parliament as a Liberal, then became a founding member of the Scottish Labour Party alongside Keir Hardie in 1888.
-	A prolific travel writer, producing over 30 books, many of them inspired by his adventures in South America and Morocco.
-	A staunch advocate of Scottish independence, and in 1934 he became the first president of the Scottish National Party (SNP) when it was formed from the merger of various nationalist groups.

He is remembered for bridging socialism, nationalism, and literature, and for being far ahead of his time in his advocacy for workers’ rights and Scottish self-determination.