Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish humanitarian sent to Budapest, Hungary under diplomatic cover to rescue Jews from the Holocaust. He was of the prominent Swedish Wallenberg family. Inspired by the the tale of the Scarlet Pimpernel, he worked to save the lives of Hungarian Jews in the later stages of World War II by issuing them protective passports from the Swedish embassy. These documents identified the bearers as Swedish nationals awaiting repatriation. It is impossible to determine exactly how many Jews were rescued by his actions, but Yad Vashem credits him with saving 15,000 lives.

In October 1981 President Ronald Reagan signed the legislation and made Raoul Wallenberg an Honorary Citizen of the United States. Wallenberg became the second person to be granted this status, after Winston Churchill. Wallenberg became the first Honorary Citizen of Canada in 1985; he was awarded honorary citizenship in Israel in 1986, and in the city of Budapest in 2003.