The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom — August 28, 1963
Approximately 250,000 people participated in this 1963 civil rights march in DC, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I have a Dream" speech.
An anti-Vietnam War protest in Washington DC — November 15, 1969
Between 500,000 and 600,000 people demonstrated against the Vietnam War in DC, which had led to thousands of deaths by 1969. Coalitions started organizing smaller rallies in 1967, eventually leading up to the large anti-Vietnam march two years later.
The Solidarity Day march in Washington, DC — September 19, 1981
The Solidarity Day march was a rally of about 260,000 people in DC in 1981. It was in response to President Ronald Reagan's decision to fire 12,000 air traffic controllers who went on strike and demanded wage increases and safer working conditions.
The Anti-Nuclear March in New York City’s Central Park — June 12, 1982
In 1982, around a million protestors filled Central Park to protest nuclear weapons during Ronald Reagan's presidency.
The Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights — October 11, 1987
This 1987 protest (also known as "the Great March") drew around 200,000 people, The New York Times reported at the time.
The march called for federal money for AIDS research and treatment, as well as an end to discrimination against LGBT people.
The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation — April 25, 1993
Between 800,000 and a million people marched on the National Mall in 1993 for LGBT rights. The organizers' primary demands were civil rights bills against discrimination, an increase in AIDS research funding, and reproductive rights.
The Million Woman March in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — October 25, 1997
In 1997, two years after the Million Man March, anywhere from 500,000 to 2 million people convened for the Million Woman March. The event, which was held on a rainy Saturday in 1997, included prayer, musical performances, and speeches by local organizers and civil rights activists.
Protests against the Iraq war in America's largest cities— February 15-16, 2003
As a protest to George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq, between 10 to 15 million people marched in 600 cities across the world in 2003. At least 500,000 people protested in American cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
It's known as the biggest protest in world history.
The March for Women’s Lives in Washington DC — April 25, 2004
In 2004, the March for Women's Lives was one of the largest pro-choice protests in American history, with between 500,000 and 1.1 million attendees.
The Women’s March on Washington — January 21, 2017
A day after Trump's inauguration, approximately half a million people protested in the Women's March in Washington DC, making it one of the largest one-day protests in American history. Nationwide, an estimated 4.2 million came out for sister marches in over 600 cities.
The effort also extended internationally with marches in over 60 countries on every continent — including Antarctica.
"We must create a society in which women — including Black women, Native women, poor women, immigrant women, disabled women, Muslim women, lesbian queer and trans women — are free and able to care for and nurture their families, however they are formed, in safe and healthy environments free from structural impediments," its organizers wrote.
