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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Originally, Martin was not his first name, it was actually Michael — his father, Martin Luther King Sr.’s, name was also originally Michael but after a trip to Germany, he changed both Michaels to ...

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 one of the most influential figures in the US civil-rights movement. Much of what people know about King is limited to his role in the 1963 March on Washington.

King’s father changed both of their names from Michael to Martin Luther in honor of the protestant reformer. Youngest person, at the time, to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Author of five books, published ...