Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from South Carolina for 48 years, from 1956 to 2003. He was a member of the Democratic Party before switching to the Republican Party in the 1960s. Thurmond was known for his strong conservative views and was a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement era, famously conducting a 24-hour filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Born on December 5, 1902, Thurmond was also a military veteran, having served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He ran for president in 1948 as a candidate for the Dixiecrat Party, which opposed desegregation. Thurmond's long political career made him one of the most influential figures in Southern politics, and he was known for his commitment to states' rights and limited government.