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Birth and early life
Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to a religious and socially active family. His father was a Baptist minister, and his mother a schoolteacher. Growing up in the segregated South, King faced racism but was deeply influenced by his family's faith and emphasis on education. A gifted student and later earned a doctorate in theology. Inspired by the teachings of Jesus and Gandhi, he developed a strong belief in nonviolent protest—principles that would guide his future leadership. -
Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a bus
After Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, King helped organize a 381-day bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. This protest marked the start of his leadership in the civil rights movement and led to the desegregation of city buses. -
King helped form the SCLC
King co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization dedicated to achieving civil rights through nonviolence. It played a major role in organizing protests and campaigns throughout the South. -
Gets arrested in Birmingham
In April 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a series of nonviolent protests against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, a city known for its strict enforcement of racial segregation. Despite a court order banning such demonstrations, King and other activists proceeded with their planned actions. As a result, King was arrested on Good Friday, April 12, 1963, for violating the court injunction. -
King delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech
In front of over 250,000 people at the March on Washington, King delivered his most famous speech, calling for an end to racism and envisioning a future of racial harmony and justice in the United States. A very emotional speech which is remembered even today. -
Became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
King became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35, honored for his leadership in the fight for civil rights and his commitment to nonviolence. -
The first of the Selma to Montgomery marches took place
During a peaceful voting rights march in Selma, Alabama, protesters were violently attacked by police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The event shocked the nation and increased support for voting rights legislation. -
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law
In response to pressure from King and other activists, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed this landmark law, banning discriminatory voting practices and enabling millions of African Americans to vote freely. -
King gives his last speech
King spoke in Memphis, Tennessee in support of striking sanitation workers. His speech reflected on justice, unity, and his acceptance of the possibility of death—delivered just one day before he was killed. -
His death
King was shot and killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. His death was a devastating blow to the civil rights movement, but his legacy continues to inspire the struggle for equality. He passed away at the young age of 39 in Memphis.