- He is the last living Nuremberg trial prosecutor.
- At age 27, he was the youngest prosecutor involved in bringing Nazi war criminals to justice at the Nuremberg trials. He prosecuted leaders of the Einsatzgruppen - roaming death squads who killed more than a million civilians in Eastern Europe.
- During WWII, he served in the Army in Patton's forces. He was at Normandy, broke though the Maginot and Siegfried lines, crossed the Rhine at Remagen, and took part in the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne. He was awarded five battle stars. He was present at, or arrived soon after, the liberation of several concentration camps.
- His family moved to the United States when Ben was 10 months old, and lived in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. His father was a janitor who became a house painter. Ben attended City College and Harvard Law School.
- Bestowed the Elie Wiesel Award from the United States Holocaust Museum for his commitment to justice.
- Shared the 2009 Erasmus Prize with Benjamin Ferencz. This Dutch award is given for "exceptional contribution to culture in Europe".
- Received a lifetime achievement award from the International Bar Association.
- Was the first prosecutor to use the term "genocide" in a court of law.
- Received the Congressional Gold Medal.
- Advocated for the creation of the International Criminal Court which was established in 2002.
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