LIFE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Born: Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta.

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fourth from right, waves as marchers set out on the first day of a five-day, 50-mile march to the state capital at Montgomery, Ala., on March 21, 1965.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fourth from right, waves as marchers set out on the first day of a five-day, 50-mile march to the state capital at Montgomery, Ala., on March 21, 1965. The Associated Press
King, head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, addresses thousands of civil rights marchers during his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
King, head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, addresses thousands of civil rights marchers during his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Associated Press
Crowds are seen at the March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his eloquent “I Have a Dream” speech to an estimated 250,000 people who thronged the National Mall on Aug. 28, 1963.
Crowds are seen at the March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his eloquent “I Have a Dream” speech to an estimated 250,000 people who thronged the National Mall on Aug. 28, 1963. The Associated Press
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., third from right, marches in a line of men with arms linked during the March on Washington for civil rights on Aug. 28, 1963.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., third from right, marches in a line of men with arms linked during the March on Washington for civil rights on Aug. 28, 1963. The Associated Press
Amanda Beatty, 13, of Fort Wright, Ky., listens to speakers while holding an image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Cincinnati on April 4, 2007, before taking part in a walk across a bridge over the Ohio River.
Amanda Beatty, 13, of Fort Wright, Ky., listens to speakers while holding an image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Cincinnati on April 4, 2007, before taking part in a walk across a bridge over the Ohio River. The Associated Press
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Education:

• Entered Morehouse College in Atlanta at age 15.

• Divinity degree, Crozer Theological Seminary, Chester, Pa.

• Ph.D. in theology, Boston University, 1955

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Civil rights accomplishments:

• Founded Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 1957

• Organized 1963 March on Washington, where he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech

• Received Nobel Peace Prize, 1964, for his work as a civil rights leader

Assassination:

• Shot and killed in Memphis, Tenn., April 4, 1968. He is buried in Atlanta.

— McClatchy Newspapers

 

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