Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1954 until his death in 1968.

What was Martin Luther King famous for?

• Civil rights movement
• Peace movement
• His “I Have a Dream” speech.

Gossip and Rumors

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at 39 years old in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray.

Early Life of Martin Luther King Jr. M

Martin Luther King Jr. was born Michael King Jr. on January 15, 1929. He was born in Atlanta in the state of Georgia. His father’s name is Martin Luther King Sr. Similarly, his mother’s name is Alberta Williams King. He has African-American ethnicity. Additionally, he also belongs to Irish ethnic background from his great-grandfather’s side.

His father supported him since his childhood. Since his early life, he was good at public speaking.

For his education, he went to Booker T. Washington High School. Afterward, he joined Morehouse College. He graduated from there with a degree in B.A. in sociology at the age of 19.

Later, he attended Crozer Theological Seminary and completed his B. Div. degree from there in 1951. Then, he also completed his Ph.D. degree from Boston University in 1955.

What did Martin Luther King do?

Martin Luther King has been an activist his whole life fighting for racial equality. In 1955 after his studies, he led the Montgomery bus boycott that lasted for 385 days.

It was a protest against multiple arrests of African-American people for not giving up bus seats to white people.

From January 1957, he led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Mostly, it worked for freedom and jobs. Through multiple non-violent protests and marches, the group garnished a lot of support from civil rights supporters.

In 1961, he was part of the Albany Movement in Georgia as part of SCLC. He opted out of the alternative to paying a fine of $178. Rather, he went to jail for 45 days as punishment for protesting.

In 1963, he fought for economic justice and racial equality being part of SCLC’s Birmingham campaign in Alabama. Additionally, he also led several other SCLC’s campaigns like St. Augustine Movement, Selma to Montgomery Marches, and others.

Prior, in 1963, he led the most-remembered march to Washington DC. It took place on August 28, 1963, and it fought for freedom and jobs.

He gave an iconic speech named, I Have a Dream that he gave in front of around 250,000 civil rights supporters.

From 1957 to 1968, he served as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference until his death. Later, he also led the Chicago Open Housing Movement in 1966, the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968, and others.

Awards and Achievements of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded at least fifty honorary degrees from colleges and universities. He became the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to him for leading nonviolent resistance to racial prejudice in the U.S. Similarly, he was awarded the American Liberties Medallion by the American Jewish Committee for his “exceptional advancement of the principles of human liberty. Furthermore, He was posthumously awarded a President Medal of Freedman and a Congressional Gold Medal, and so on.

In addition, Martin Luther King Jr.’s day was established in 1971 and it became a U.S. federal holiday in 1986. Hundreds of streets around the United States have been named in his honor. The Martin Luther King Jr Memorial on the national mall was opened and dedicated in 2011.

Net Worth of Martin Luther King Jr.

There was no track record of his net worth and salary. But according to celebrity net worth, his estimated net worth is $250 Thousand as an American Baptist minister, humanitarian, activist, and leader.

How did Dr. Martin Luther King die?

Sadly on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, he was shot by James Earl Ray Lorraine Motel’s second-floor balcony. Later, he died after chest surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Personal Life of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a married man until he was assassinated. He was in a marital relationship with Coretta Scott King. Coretta was an activist and author. Unfortunately, she died on January 30, 2006, of Ovarian Cancer. They were married for around a decade and a half. They exchanged marital vows on June 18, 1953. The wedding ceremony happened on the lawn of Coretta’s mother’s house.

Together, they had four children. They were Martin Luther King III, Yolanda King, Bernice King, and Dexter Scott King. Yolanda King was born on November 17, 1955, and she advocated for human rights before she died on May 15, 2007. Martin Luther King III was born on October 23, 1957. He is a human rights activist. He got married to Andrea Waters King in 2006. And Dexter was born on January 30, 1961. Bernice King was born on March 28, 1963, and she is a minister.

Body Measurements of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King had an average height. Moreover, it was around 5 feet 7 inches. Similarly, he weighed around 69 kg. While his eyes were brown, he had black eyes.