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Birth date
He was born in Atlanta Georgia -
Graduated high school
He graduated college at the age of 15 -
Receives BA in sociology
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Receives degree from Crozer Theological Seminary enrolls in Boston University Ph.D program
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Marries New England Conservatory music student Coretta Scott; they eventually have four children
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Becomes minister of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama
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Receives Ph.D in systematic theology from Boston University.
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The 26-year-old King leads boycott of segregated Montgomery buses, gains national reputation.
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The 26-year-old King leads boycott of segregated Montgomery buses, gains national reputation.
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Congress passes Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing segregation in public accommodations and discrimination in education and employment. King receives Nobel Peace Prize.
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King and SCLC join voting-rights march from Selma to Montgomery; police beat and tear gas marchers; King addresses rally before state capitol, builds support for voting rights.
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Growing popularity of the black power movement, blacks stressing self-reliance and self-defense, indicates King's influence was declining, especially among young blacks.
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King is assassinated in Memphis, during visit to support striking black garbage collectors; violent riots erupt in more than 100 U.S. cities
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IP James Earl Ray pleads guilty to King's murder, receives 99-year sentence.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site established in Atlanta, includes his birthplace, Ebenezer Church, and the King Center.