As the U.S. comes together to celebrate his life and legacy on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, TIME has compiled a number of lesser-known facts about the man whose unwavering ...

1948 – Is ordained a Baptist minister. 1954 – Becomes the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. December 1, 1955 – Seamstress and civil rights activist Rosa Parks refuses to ...

One of the facts about Martin Luther King Jr. that most people are unaware of: His birth certificate reads Michael King, an ode to his father, a former pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil-rights activist who helped end segregation in the US. Martin wasn't his given name: He was born Michael King Jr., after his father. At 35, he became the ...

Martin Luther King Jr. (Jan. 15, 1929–April 4, 1968) was one of the most prominent leaders of America's civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. His words and actions have left a lasting mark on ...

January 19, 2026 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day. King’s actual birthday was on January 15. April 8, 1968 – Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) introduces legislation for a federal holiday to commemorate King, just ...