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The Birth Of Martin Luther King Jr.
Michael King is born in Atlanta. His father changes the boy’s name, as well as his own, to Martin Luther King several years later. -
King enrolls at morehouse college at 15
King enrolls at Morehouse College after passing the entrance exam at age 15. -
King sends a minority rights letter to the Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Constitution publishes a letter to the editor from King supporting minority rights. -
King is ordained and becomes assistant pastor
King is ordained and becomes assistant pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, his father’s church. -
King Graduates from morehouse college
King graduates from Morehouse College with bachelor’s degree in sociology. -
King enters Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pa.
King enters Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pa. -
King Graduates Crozer
King graduates from Crozer with bachelor of divinity degree. He delivers valedictory address. -
King begins graduate studies in systematic theology at Boston University’s School of Theology.
King begins graduate studies in systematic theology at Boston University’s School of Theology. -
King meets Coretta Scott in Boston.
King meets Coretta Scott in Boston. -
King and Coretta get married
King and Coretta Scott are married near Marion, Ala. King’s father officiates at the service. -
King begins his pastorate at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.
King begins his pastorate at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. -
King earns doctorate from Boston University.
King earns doctorate from Boston University. -
King is named president of the Montgomery Improvement Association.
King is named president of the Montgomery Improvement Association. -
King's home is bombed
King’s home is bombed while he is speaking at a meeting. His wife and daughter are unharmed. -
King is named chairman of what becomes the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
King is named chairman of what becomes the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). -
King appears on the cover of Time magazine.
King appears on the cover of Time magazine. -
King delivers his first national address
King delivers his first national address, “Give Us the Ballot,” at the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. -
King and other civil rights leaders meet with President Dwight
King and other civil rights leaders meet with President Dwight Eisenhower in Washington. -
King is stabbed, but not killed
At a book signing in Harlem, King is stabbed with a letter opener by a mentally ill woman. Doctors remove the seven-inch blade from his chest. -
King moves from Montgomery to Atlanta
King moves from Montgomery to Atlanta to focus on the civil rights struggle. -
King is arrested
King is arrested at a sit-in demonstration at an Atlanta department store. He is sentenced to four months of hard labor — for violating a suspended sentence in a 1956 traffic violation. He is released on $2,000 bond. -
King and hundreds of others are arrested
King and hundreds of others are arrested in desegregation campaign in Albany, Ga. -
King is arrested at a prayer vigil
King is arrested at a prayer vigil in Albany and spends two weeks in jail. He leaves Aug. 10. -
King gets hit in the face by a Nazi party member, twice.
A member of the American Nazi Party hits King in the face twice at an SCLC conference in Birmingham. -
King writes his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail
After being arrested for ignoring an Alabama state court injunction against demonstrations, King writes his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail, a defense of nonviolent resistance to racism. -
King delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial
King delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial as more than 200,000 demonstrators take part in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. -
Four girls are killed by bomb explosion
Four girls are killed when a bomb explodes at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. -
King delivers eulogy for three of the slain girls.
King delivers eulogy for three of the slain girls. -
Time magazine names King “Man of the Year” for 1963.
Time magazine names King “Man of the Year” for 1963. -
King and 17 others are jailed for trespassing
King and 17 others are jailed for trespassing after demanding service at a whites-only restaurant in St. Augustine, Fla. -
King wins Nobel Peace Prize.
King wins Nobel Peace Prize. -
King peacefully leads civil rights marchers
After voting rights marchers are attacked and beaten by police in Selma, Ala., King peacefully leads civil rights marchers from Selma to Montgomery. -
Rioting in the Watts section of Los Angeles leads King to address economic inequality.
Rioting in the Watts section of Los Angeles leads King to address economic inequality. -
King gives his first speech against the Vietnam War.
King gives his first speech against the Vietnam War. -
King and his wife move into a Chicago slum apartment
King and his wife move into a Chicago slum apartment to demand better housing and education in northern U.S. cities. -
King demands U.S. make greater effort to end Vietnam War.
In speech at a New York City church, King demands U.S. make greater effort to end Vietnam War. -
King unveils plans for a Poor People’s Campaign
King unveils plans for a Poor People’s Campaign, a mass civil disobedience protest, for the spring in Washington. It was intended as an expansion of his civil rights activities into the area of economic rights. -
King leads 6,000 protesters
King leads 6,000 protesters in support of striking sanitation workers in Memphis. The march ends with violence and looting. -
King returns to Memphis
King returns to Memphis, intending to lead a peaceful march. At an evening rally, he delivers his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” -
King is shot and killed
King is shot and killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. -
King's body is buried
King is buried in Atlanta.