Rosa Parks is a historic figure significant to the Civil Rights Movement, best known for her courageous act of defiance against racial segregation. On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus, leading to her arrest. This act sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal event that united African Americans in the fight against segregation and discrimination. Parks' actions brought national attention to the Civil Rights Movement, inspiring further activism and ultimately contributing to significant legislative changes, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.