Martin Luther King Jr.

Awarded for

Non-violent struggle against racial discrimination in the United States

The story behind the prize

King led the Montgomery bus boycott (1955–56) after Rosa Parks's arrest, and the 1963 March on Washington. Inspired by Gandhi, he used non-violent protest against racial segregation. His campaigns led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

About

American Baptist minister who led the civil rights movement; famous for the 'I Have a Dream' speech (1963).

Exam facts

• Youngest Peace laureate at the time (35)
• Assassinated in Memphis in 1968