Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.

Born

Jan 15, 1929

Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

MLK timeline

Period: Jan 15, 1929 to Aug 2, 1983

Elementry school

May 23, 1936

Martin went to Yonge Street Elementry School in Atlanta, Geogia. The school was segregated. Every student at his school was African American

Graduated from high school and admitted to Morehouse Collage

Apr 20, 1944

Graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and was admitted to Morehouse College at age 15.

Graduates from Morehouse Collage

Feb 25, 1948

Graduates from Morehouse College and enters Crozer Theological Seminary.
Ordained to the Baptist ministry,at age 19.

Martin Luther King Marries

Jun 18, 1953

Martin Luther King, Jr. marries Coretta Scott

Becomes a pastor

Oct 31, 1954

Martin Luther King, Jr. becomes the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

First daughter

Nov 15, 1955

Martin Luther King's first child, Yolanda Denise is born in Montgomery, Alabama.

Joins Rosa Parks in the Boycott on the bus situation

Dec 1, 1955

Martin Luther King, Jr. joins the bus boycott after Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1 for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery bus. On December 5, Martin Luther King, Jr. is elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, making him the official spokesman for the boycott.

MLK's house was attacked

Jan 30, 1956

Martin Luther King Jr.'s house is bombed but no one is hurt.

First Book

Sep 17, 1958

Martin Luther King Jr.'s first book, "Stride Toward Freedom" (Harper), is published. The book features his recollections of the Montgomery bus boycott.

"I HAD A DREAM" speech

Aug 28, 1963

After meeting with President John F. Kennedy, Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to a crowd estimated at 250,000 people.

Martin Luther King, Jr. receives Nobel Peace Prize.

Dec 10, 1964

Martin Luther King, Jr. receives the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. He is the youngest man to recieve the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 35.

"I've Been to the Mountain Top" speech.

Apr 3, 1968

Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his last speech, entitled "I've Been to the Mountain Top," at the Mason Temple, the national headquarters of the Church of God in Christ, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Martin Luther King, Jr. dies.

Apr 4, 1968

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life was ended by an assassin's bullet while he was on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The assassin was later discovered to be James Earl Ray.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral.

Apr 9, 1968

Martin Luther King Jr.'s body was viewed by mourners on the campus of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, April 7, 1968. His funeral was eulogized at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta on April 9. He was laid to rest at the South View Cemetery. More than 300,000 people marched through Atlanta with his mule-drawn coffin.

A public holiday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. is created.

Aug 2, 1983

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill creating a legal public holiday in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.