The Four Color Theorem states that any map can be colored using no more than four colors, ensuring that no two adjacent regions share the same color. This theorem applies to any planar graph, which is a representation of a map where regions are represented as vertices and edges connect adjacent regions. Proven in 1976 by mathematicians Kenneth Appel and Wolfgang Haken, the theorem was one of the first major results to be verified using a computer. Their proof involved checking many different configurations, demonstrating that four colors are sufficient for any possible map layout.