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SCMP Reporter

1921: Born, Charleston, South Carolina, US.

1940: Joined Amercian Communist Party, labour and civil rights organiser.

1942: Joined US Army.

1943: after Pearl Harbour, studied Chinese at Stanford University.

1945: Language expert at US Army headquarters, China.

1946: Left army, joined United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency in Shanghai. Neutral translator for US Army, nationalists and communists in a truce team set up to conciliate in Chinese Civil War by US president Truman's envoy.  Met Zhou Enlai, who introduced him to Chairman Mao Zedong

in Yanan. Worked for communist leaders translating propaganda. Joined Chinese Communist party.

1949: CIA spy allegations: imprisoned for six years.

1955: Released with public apologies from Mao and  Zhou. Now  Communist Party member privy to classified information.

1956: Married Wang Yulin, three daughters and a son born between 1957 and 1966.  1966: Cultural Revolution. Imprisoned for 10 years. Yulin also sent to labour camp.

1980: Returned to US, now lives near Seattle.  1980-present: Consultant and adviser on China to US government and businesses including Nintendo of America, Intel, Levi Strauss, Polaroid and many others. Organised  Billy Graham's three China tours. His autobiography, The Man Who Stayed Behind, published by Simon and Schuster.



SIDNEY RITTENBERG: A LIFE IN BRIEF