[[Image:Ralph Nader.jpg|right|thumb|Ralph Nader <br>(photo from Harvard Kennedy School of Government)]]
'''Ralph Nader''' (born February 27, 1934) is an iconic legend of the the consumer rights movement. Nader's accomplishments have become part of the fabric of American public life.<ref>[http://www.salon.com/bc/1999/01/26bc.html Citizen Nader], Brilliant Careers, ''Salon.com''</ref> Nader has been called one of America's most effective social critics. {{cn}} He ran unsuccessfully for President of the United States in 1996, 2000, and 2004, and 2008.
Nader burst on to the scene in 1965 with his book ''Unsafe at Any Speed'', an indictment of the auto industry for producing unsafe vehicles. The book led to congressional hearings and a series of automobile safety laws were passed saving countless lives. Since 1966, Nader has been responsible for at least eight major federal consumer protection laws such as the motor vehicle safety laws, the Safe Drinking Water Act; the launching of federal regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), [[Environment Protection Agency]] (EPA), and [[Consumer Product Safety Administration]]; the recall of millions of defective motor vehicles; and access to government through the [[Freedom of Information Act of 1974]].