Timeline: Martin Luther King

Jan 15, 1929

The birth

Martin L.King was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

1934

Renaming

Martin L.King, Jr. first named Martin King Jr. was renamed in Germany by his father in honor to the Protestant reformer Martin Luther.

1939

A new singer

Martin L.King sang with the choir of his church in Atlanta for the presentation of the film gone With the Wind.

1955

Bus boycott

Martin Luther King, a civil right activist from a very young age, organized and carried out various peaceful activities demanding the right to vote, non-discrimination and other basic civil rights for black people in the United States. Among his most remembered actions are the bus boycott in Montgomery.

Nov 17, 1955

Birth of Yolanda Denise King

Yolanda Denise King was an African American activist. She was also known for her artistic and entertainment endeavors and public speaking. Her childhood experience was greatly influenced by her father's highly public and influential activism. She died succumbing to complications related to a chronic heart condition on May 15, 2007.

1957

SCLC

Martin's support for the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference lead him to become the first president of this fundation.

Oct 23, 1957

Birth of Martin Luther King III

Martin Luther King III is an American human rights activist, philanthropist, and activist. He was the fourth president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from 1997 to 2004.

Jan 30, 1961

Birth of Dexter Scott King

King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father was pastor before moving to the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

1963

I have a dream

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a huge demonstration that took place in Washington. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech advocating racial harmony at the Lincoln Memorial.

Mar 28, 1963

Birth of Bernice Albertine King

Bernice Albertine King is an American lawyer and minister. When she was 17 was invited to speak at the United Nations. Twenty years after her father was assassinated, she preached her trial sermon, inspired by her parents' activism.

Apr 4, 1968

Martin's death

The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. is considered one of the most important assassinations of the 20th century. King is remembered as one of the greatest leaders and heroes in American history, and in the modern history of nonviolence.