The Nicene Creed is technically named the “Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed” and was developed following the First Council of Nicaea in 325. The council was held to combat a theological error called Arianism (from its principal proponent, a priest named Arius) that denied the divinity of Christ.
A creed, or profession of faith (the word creed comes from the Latin credo, "I believe"), was developed to affirm the teachings of the Church and was further refined at the First Council of Constantinople in 381. It expanded on previous creeds in order to be more precise in what the Church believed.
Here are the words of the Nicene Creed that is frequently recited at Sunday Mass.