In 1894, at the age of 25, Mohandas Gandhi found his calling. Working as a lawyer for an Indian firm in Durban, South Africa, Gandhi was booted out of a first-class train compartment and denied hotel accomodations because of his race. Gandhi was embittered by the experience, and despite his ignorance of current events and terror of public speaking, he launched an all-out assault on South African prejudices, persuading the Natal Indian Congress to run a campaign of education and peaceful noncooperation with authorities.

PHOTO: HULTON-DEUTSCH COLLECTION/CORBIS