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Malcolm X is born
Malcolm X was born in Omaha Nebraska as Malcolm Little. -
Earl Little passes away
Malcolm's father was fatally struck by a streetcar. Police ruled it an accident. -
Malcolm drops out of school
He drops out of school in the 8th grade due to his mother being labeled insane and sent to to the state mental hospital at Kalamazoo, Michigan. -
Malcolm was ordered to register for the military
He was label mentally disqualified for the military after he says he cant wait to steal some guns and kill some crackers. -
Malcolm is arrested for burglary
With a group of associates, he began a series of elaborate burglaries targeting the residences of wealthy white families. -
Prison Life
While in prison, Little earned the nickname of "Satan" for his hostility toward religion. Little met a self-educated man in prison named John Elton Bembry. Malcolm X would later describe him as "the first man I had ever seen command total respect ... with words." -
Malcolm Marries Betty Sanders
In 1958 Malcolm married Betty X (née Sanders) in Lansing, Michigan. They had six daughters together, all of whom carried the surname of Shabazz. -
The Nation of Islam make threats against Malcolm X
As early as February 1964, a member of Temple Number Seven was given orders by the Nation of Islam to wire explosives to Malcolm X's car. -
Malcolm X announces his break from the Nation of Islam
He said that he was still a Muslim, but he felt the Nation of Islam had "gone as far as it can" because of its rigid religious teachings. Malcolm X said he was going to organize a black nationalist organization that would try to "heighten the political consciousness" of African Americans. -
Malcolm X meets with Martin Luther King Jr.
On March 26, 1964, he met Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington, D.C., after a press conference which followed both men attending the Senate to hear the debate on the Civil Rights bill. -
Malcolm X's International Travel
Pilgrimage to Mecca On April 13, 1964, Malcolm X departed JFK Airport in New York for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.His status as an authentic Muslim was questioned by Saudi authorities because of his United States passport and his inability to speak Arabic. -
Malcolm X's house is firebombed
The night before a scheduled hearing to postpone the eviction date, the house burned to the ground. Malcolm X and his family survived. No one was charged with any crime. -
Malcolm X Assassinated in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom
A man yelled, "Nigger! Get your hand outta my pocket!" As Malcolm X and his bodyguards moved to quiet the disturbance, a man rushed forward and shot him in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun. -
Malcolm X's Funeral
The Church was filled to capacity with more than 1,000 people. Loudspeakers were set up outside the Temple so the overflowing crowd could listen and a local television station broadcast the funeral live.
