The civil rights event that occurred in 1965 to promote voting rights was the Selma to Montgomery marches. Led by Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists, these marches aimed to protest systemic discrimination that prevented African Americans from exercising their voting rights, particularly in the southern states. The culmination of these efforts was the Bloody Sunday march on March 7, where peaceful demonstrators faced violent opposition from law enforcement. The events highlighted the urgent need for voting rights legislation, ultimately leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which aimed to eliminate barriers to voting for African Americans.