Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister and civil rights leader, played a pivotal role in the American civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. Advocating for racial equality through nonviolent resistance, he led key events such as the Montgomery bus boycott and the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered the famous "I Have a Dream" speech. King's efforts contributed to legislative milestones, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Despite facing FBI scrutiny and violence, King remained committed to nonviolent protest. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, he expanded his activism to address poverty and oppose the Vietnam War. His assassination in 1968 led to national mourning, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as a federal holiday in 1986.
