Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement born in 1929 who went to jail 30 times for peaceful protests. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his nonviolent resistance to racial inequality and his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. Though he faced threats and attacks, including being stabbed and bombed, he continued his work until his assassination in 1968 at the age of 39. His legacy of advancing civil rights through nonviolent action continues to inspire.