Martin Luther King, Jr.

Date of Birth: January 15, 1929

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Date of Death: April 4, 1968

Biography

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, King advanced civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience, inspired by his Christian beliefs and the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi. King led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and later became the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). With the SCLC, he led an unsuccessful struggle against segregation in Albany, Georgia, and helped organize the nonviolent 1963 protests in Birmingham, Alabama. King also helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. In his later years, he expanded his focus to include opposition towards poverty and the Vietnam War. King was planning a national occupation of Washington, D.C., to be called the Poor People’s Campaign, when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. His death led to riots in many U.S. cities. King was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

5 Interesting Facts about Martin Luther King, Jr.

1. Martin Luther King, Jr. skipped two grades in high school and entered Morehouse College at the age of 15.

2. His birth name was Michael King Jr.; his father changed both their names in honor of the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther.

3. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, at the age of 35, making him the youngest man to receive the award at that time.

4. He delivered more than 2,500 speeches during his lifetime.

5. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr.

1. “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.”

2. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

3. “The time is always right to do what is right.”

4. “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

5. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Martin Luther King, Jr. did not amass wealth and focused his life on activism and public service. His net worth is not historically documented as he lived modestly and dedicated his resources to the Civil Rights Movement.

Children

Martin Luther King, Jr. had four children with his wife, Coretta Scott King: 1. Yolanda Denise King (1955–2007) 2. Martin Luther King III (born 1957) 3. Dexter Scott King (born 1961) 4. Bernice Albertine King (born 1963)