Martin Luther King Jr. was an American civil rights leader and activist who was a key figure in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. He is remembered for his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech, which he delivered in 1963 at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.