Final answer:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the Montgomery bus boycott, which lasted 381 days starting from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956. It ended with the Supreme Court outlawing bus segregation, marking a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Montgomery bus boycott, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was an influential event in the American Civil Rights Movement. This nonviolent protest against racial segregation on public transit in Montgomery, Alabama, lasted a significant 381 days. It started on December 5, 1955, the day after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person on a Montgomery bus. The boycott officially ended on December 20, 1956, when the Supreme Court's decision to outlaw bus segregation was implemented.
Throughout these 381 days, approximately 50,000 African American residents of Montgomery, inspired by Dr. King's leadership, showed remarkable unity and resilience. They walked to work, used carpools, and even created an informal taxi system with reduced fares to support the community. Their perseverance eventually led to a United States Supreme Court decision that declared segregated buses unconstitutional, changing the course of American history.