Early in January 2005, high officials of many world governments gathered in the Polish town of Auschwitz. They were there to remember the sixtieth anniversary of its liberation from Nazi tyranny. The concentration camp at Auschwitz is the primary symbol of one of the worst crimes ever committed against human beings: the Holocaust.

Under the orders of German dictator Adolf Hitler, the Holocaust was the organized killing of an estimated six million Jews. The horror extended to millions of other people. They had the misfortune of being different from "normal" Germans. The Holocaust was a Monumental Milestone in that it made people recognize the importance of human rights and realize how easily fellow humans can violate those rights. It stands as a warning for future generations.