Martin Luther King Qick Facts

Birth

January 15, 1929. Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Death

April 4, 1968. Memphis, Tennessee, USA (assassination by gunshot)

Known for

Leading the civil rights movement in the United States

Advocating nonviolent protest against segregation and racial discrimination

Milestones

1954 Selected as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama

1955 Received his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University

1955-1956 Led a successful effort to desegregate Montgomery, Alabama, buses

1957 Helped found and served as the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

1958 Published Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story

1963 Wrote 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' arguing that it was his moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws

1963 Delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech to civil rights marchers at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

1964 Won the Nobel Peace Prize

1965 Organized a mass march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, that created national support for federal voting-rights legislation

1968 Was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee

Quote

'I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.' August, 1963, in a speech to civil rights supporters at the March on Washington.

Did You Know

King's nonviolent doctrine was strongly influenced by the teachings of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.

In 1964, King became the first black American to be honored as Time magazine's Man of the Year.

King's efforts were not limited to securing civil rights; he also spoke out against poverty and the Vietnam War."Martin Luther King, Jr.," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2006 © 1997-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.