Lech Wałęsa (IPA: (help·info); born 29 September 1943) is a Polish politician and a former trade union and human rights activist. He co-founded Solidarity (Solidarność), the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland from 1990 to 1995.

Wałęsa was born in Popowo, Poland, on 29 September 1943, to a carpenter and his wife. He attended primary and vocational school, before entering Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk (Stocznia Gdańska im. Lenina, now Stocznia Gdańska) as an electrical technician in 1970. In 1969 he married Danuta Gołoś, and the couple now have eight children. His son Jarosław Wałęsa was a member of Poland's Sejm (lower house of the Polish parliament; currently is a member of European Parliament. Lech Wałęsa is a devout Roman Catholic, and has said that his faith always helped him during Solidarity's difficult moments.

He was a member of the illegal strike committee in Gdańsk Shipyard in 1970 (Polish 1970 protests).