Julian Assange is an Australian journalist, publisher, and activist best known as the founder of WikiLeaks, a platform that publishes classified and sensitive documents. Born on July 3, 1971, Assange gained international prominence in 2010 when WikiLeaks released a series of leaks provided by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. His work has sparked significant global debate over government transparency and freedom of the press. After a prolonged legal battle and confinement in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Assange was held in UK prison but has since been released.