Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968) was an American Baptist minister and civil rights leader who became a central figure in the fight against racial segregation in the United States. He’s best known for promoting nonviolent resistance to injustice and for his leadership in the American civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s. King gained national attention during the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, following the arrest of Rosa Parks. He later helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and led major campaigns for desegregation, voting rights, and economic justice. His “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered during the 1963 March on Washington, became one of the most iconic addresses in U.S. history. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968 while supporting a strike by Black sanitation workers. His legacy continues to influence social justice movements around the world.