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Birthplace and date.
Martin Luther King Jr was born on January 15th, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia to Martin Luther King Sr and Alberta Williams King. He had an older sister, Willie Christine King, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel Williams King. At birth, his legal name was Michael, but his father, whose name was also originally Michael, said this was a mistake on the legal documents. He attended Booker T Washington High School in Atlanta. -
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Martin Luther King Jr
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Diplomas
In 1948, he graduated from Morehouse College with a B.A. in sociology and enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania. He graduated with a B.Div in 1951. -
First ministry
He became pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama when he was twenty five, in 1954. He then studied for and attained another degree in systematical theology at the Boston University in 1955. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This sparked the Montgomery bus boycott in protest at her trial. After the success of the boycott, the MIA (Montgomery Improvement Association) was formed, and Martin Luther King Jr elected as president. -
I Have a Dream
The I Have a Dream speech is one of the most famous speeches in history. Martin Luther King Jr gave it in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, calling for an end to racism in the United States. -
Nobel Peace Prize
Martin Luther King Jr was awarded the 1963 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the youngest ever recipient of the prize. It was awarded to him for leading nonviolent protests against racism in the US. -
Assassination
Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated while standing on a hotel balcony in Memphis, by James Earl Ray, who was detained two months later at Heathrow Airport. King was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was 39 years old.
