William David Trimble was a British politician who was the first’ First Minister of Northern Ireland’ He made history in his lifetime through his attempts to find a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict in Northern Ireland. During his early years, Northern Ireland was enveloped with rivalries between Catholics and Protestants. The divide was so polarizing that the period of time came to be called the Troubles. The main driving wedge between the two parties was their view on what should happen with the government. Unionists, mostly Protestants, wanted to remain a part of the United Kingdom while the nationalists, who were mainly Catholic, wanted to join a united Ireland. Trimble effectively ended the Troubles with his unifying and honorable leadership. He began his career teaching in the field of law while simultaneously participating in politics. His early political career was strongly Unionist and he quickly gained popularity among this group. Only once he became deeply involved in politics and left his teaching career did he become more compromising and went on to create a peaceful solution for Northern Ireland. His efforts are internationally recognized as breaking through the overwhelming conflict by remaining open-minded.