Martin Luther King Jr. Facts for Kids

martin luther king jr facts

In this article we will outline Martin Luther King Jr Facts for Kids and try to give you all the info we can find on the man. History facts are an important part to be learned, and this article will try and provide the most accurate info possible 

  • Name: Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Profession: Christian Minister and Activist
  • Born: January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States
  • Died: April 4th, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, United States
  • Resting Place: Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park
  • Legacy: Famous for advancing civil rights without violence

26 Martin Luther King Jr. Facts for kids

1. Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American civil rights activist and Christian minister

A Picture of Martin Luther King Jr.

2. Martin Luther King Jr. is most famous for his efforts in advancing civil rights without the use of violence.

3. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

4. Martin Luther King Jr. birth name was Michael King Jr.

5. Martin Luther King Jr. was the son of African American Baptist pastor Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Christine Williams King.

martin luther king jr facts

6. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of three children by Martin and Alberta King.

7. Martin Luther King Jr. married Coretta Scott King on June 18th, 1953 in Heiberger, Alabama, United States.

8. Martin and Coretta King had four children, two boys and two girls.

9. The children of Martin and Coretta King are Yolanda King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter King and Bernice King.

10. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed by James Earl Ray at the age of 39 on April 4th, 1968.

11. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, USA at 6:01pm CST.

12. In 1946, the Atlanta Constitution newspaper publishes an article by King on the rights of minorities.

martin luther king jr facts

13. In 1948, King received his Bachelor of Arts in sociology (BA) from Morehouse College at the age of 19.

14. In 1951, King received his Bachelor of Divinity (B.Div) from Crozer Theological Seminary at the age of 21.

15. In 1955, King received his doctorate degree (Ph.D.) from Boston University at the age of 26.

16. On December 5th, 1955, King is elected the president of the newly created Montgomery Improvement Association. The use the December 1st incident involving Rosa Park’s on a Montgomery City bus to start a bus boycott.

17. On November 13th, 1956, the Alabama bus segregation laws are struck down as unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court and the Montgomery City bus boycott ends.

18. On March 25th, 1965, King gave his speech titled “How Long, Not Long” in Montgomery, Alabama. This was speech he gave after Selma to Montgomery marches were completed.

martin luther king jr facts

19. In 1967, King publishes his fourth and last book titled “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?”.

20. On April 4th, 1967, King gives his speech titled “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”.

21. On August 28th, 1963, King gave his most famous speech titled “I Have a Dream”. He gave this famous speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

22. In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for civil rights and social justice.

23. On April 3rd, 1968, King gives his final speech titled “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” before he’s assassinated.

24. On April 4th, 1968, King is assassinated by James Earl Ray on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.

25. In 1977, King is posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

26. In 2004, King is posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

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