Mohandas Gandhi was born on this day in 1869. A lifelong proponent of nonviolence and passive resistance, Gandhi protested British discrimination against and mistreatment of the Indian people, particularly the lowest castes of Indian society. Gandhi’s fasting and peaceful resistance helped India gain its independence from British rule in 1947. Gandhi’s life proved inspirational to future generations of human rights activists and leaders, including Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.