Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is born.

Jan 15, 1929

Martin Luther King, Jr. is born in Atlanta, Georgia to Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Here is a short video biography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. attends college at Morehouse College.

Sep 1, 1944

Martin Luther King, Jr. attends Morehouse College at age 15.

Martin Luther King, Jr. recieves sociology degree.

Jun 1, 1948

At the age of 19 Martin Luther King, Jr. graduates from Morehouse College with a B.A. degree in sociology.

Martin Luther King, Jr. marries Coretta Scott.

Jun 18, 1953

Martin Luther King, Jr. marries Coretta Scott.

Martin Luther King, Jr. becomes a pastor.

Oct 31, 1954

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

Martin Luther King, Jr. receives Ph.D in Systematic Theology.

Jun 5, 1955

Martin Luther King, Jr. receives his Ph.D in Systematic Theology from Boston University.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s first daughter is born.

Nov 15, 1955

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

Martin Luther King, Jr. joins the bus boycott in Montgomery.

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.

Learn more about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott here.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s house is bombed.

Jan 30, 1956

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

Unexploded bomb is found on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s porch.

Jan 27, 1957

An unexploded bomb was discovered on Martin Luther King's front porch.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s first son is born.

Oct 23, 1957

Martin Luther King Jr.'s son is born, Martin Luther King III.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s book, Stride Toward Freedom, is published.

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.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s third child is born.

Jan 30, 1961

Martin Luther King Jr.'s third child, Dexter Scott, is born.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s fourth child is born.

Mar 28, 1963

Martin Luther King Jr's. fourth child, Bernice Albertine, is born.

Martin Luther King Jr. writes Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

Apr 16, 1963

Martin Luther King Jr. writes "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", after being arrested for participating in a sit-in demonstration. Learn more about the Letter from a Birmingham Jail here.

Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his "I have 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. Short Version: Watch Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech. Full Version: Watch Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech here.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s book, "The Strength to Love" is published.

Sep 1, 1963

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s book, "The Strength to Love" is published (Harper and Row Publishers).

Martin Luther King, Jr. is named Man of the Year by Time.

Jan 3, 1964

Time Magazine honored Martin Luther King, Jr. as "Man of the Year" with a feature story and cover photo.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s. book, "Why We Can't Wait", is published.

Jun 4, 1964

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s book, "Why We Can't Wait" (New American Library Publishers), is published.

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.

Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers "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.