The Self-Immolation of Thich Quang Duc, Vietnam, 1963. 
Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc set himself on fire in 1963 to highlight the persecution of Buddhists by Ngô Ðình Di?m in South Vietnam. He used his last words to call on others to organize in solidarity. Images of his protest were circulated around the world and put pressure on the international community to reconsider support for Di?m. Images of Thích Qu?ng Ð?c’s protest have been deemed some of the most powerful in history.

 

Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, USA, 1955. 
On December 1st, 1955 in Alabama, Rosa Parks decided to defy racial segregation rules by not giving up her seat for a white passenger when asked. Her actions sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, designed to put enough economic pressure on the city to listen. The campaign was so successful, it led to the desegregation of buses by the US Supreme Court. Rosa’s defiance changed the course of civil rights in American history.

 

Pyotr Pavlensky a Russian artist nailed a spike through his scrotum and into the cobblestone street in front of the Kremlin wall one of Russia’s most famous landmarks as a form of political protest, Russia, 2013. 
Pavlensky said "As the government turns the country into one big prison, stealing from the people and using the money to grow and enrich the police apparatus and other repressive structures, society is allowing this, and forgetting its numerical advantage, is bringing the triumph of the police state closer by its inaction." Pavlensky previously sewed his lips together to protest against the jailing of two Pussy Riot members who protested for LGBT rights in Russia.