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.

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...