Martin Luther King, Jr.A Timeline of his Life

Martin Luther King, Jr. is born in

Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929 to the Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr.

After graduating from high school at the age of 15, Martin Luther King, Jr. attends Morehouse College. He graduates with a sociology degree

in 1948. He goes on to attend Crozer Theological Seminary. He graduates in

1951.

In1953 King marries Coretta

Scott. Together, they have 4 children.

1954 King becomes minister of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

In 1955, Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. Martin Luther King Jr. leads a boycott against the Montgomery bus company. As a result of this action, the Supreme Court rules that buses must be desegregated.

Inspired by the work of Gandhi, King goes to India to study non-violence.

1959

August 28, 1963: King gives “I Have a Dream” Speech to 200,000 people on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

October, 1964King wins the Nobel Peace Prize

In early March, 1965, King and others try to organize a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The marchers are met by with Alabama police and beat.

Another march is held on March 25th. This time, marchers are protected. MLK gives a speech on the capital steps in Montgomery.

March 29, 1968: While at a hotel, King is assassinated (killed). James Earl Ray is convicted of killing King and is sentenced to 99 years in jail.

King’s I Have A Dream SpeechAugust 28, 1963Washington, DC