Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights Leader

Birthday January 15, 1929

Birth Sign Capricorn

Birthplace Atlanta, GA

DEATH DATE Apr 4, 1968 (39)

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About

African-American Civil Rights Movement leader and clergyman who used civil disobedience to combat institutionalized racism. He is remembered best for his iconic "I Have A Dream Speech," which he gave in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

Before Fame

At age 25, he became the pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Alabama.

Trivia

He helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and he led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, which helped end racial segregation on the public transit systems.

Family Life

He married Coretta Scott on June 18, 1953 in Heiberger, Alabama. He had two sons, Dexter and Martin III, and two daughters, Yolanda and Bernice.

Associated With

He traveled to India in April 1959 after being inspired by the nonviolent protests of Mahatma Gandhi.

Video

Martin Luther King Jr. Highlights
Martin Luther King Jr. Highlights