For people in the United States today, celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a day to honor the life and work of the civil rights leader with a day of service to their community.
Thousands of people of all ages will join together in National Day of Service projects around the country, working together to further his dream of a “Beloved Community.”
Others will gather for marches, tributes, and talks about Dr. King and civil rights.
The infographic on Maps of the World chronicles Dr. King’s life and work. Check out my key takeaways from the infographic.
Key Takeaways
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
His Legacy
- 1929: Born Michael King on January 15, 1929. His father changed his name in honor of the German reformer Martin Luther.
- 1941: At the age of 12, he tried to commit suicide when his grandmother passed away after a heart attack
- 1951: Graduated from Croser Theological Seminary with a Bachelor’s Degree in Divinity
- 1953: Marries Coretta Scott on June 18, 1953
- 1954: At the age of 25, he became a pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama
- 1955: Received a PhD in Systematic Theology from Boston University on June 5, 1955. King was awarded at least 50 honorary degrees from colleges an universities. He became the leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott campaign against the racial segregation in public transport. Boycott continued for 382 days.
- 1957: Founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference along with other civil rights leaders. Appeared on the cover of Time magazine for the first time. King was heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy.
- 1958: First book Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story got published
- 1959: Embarked on a month-long visit to India and met Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
- 1960: Met and urged U.S. President John F. Kennedy to eliminate racial segregation
- 1963: In Apri 1963, along with the Southern Christian Leadership Conerence, he started a protest against racial discrimination and economic inequality in Birmingham, Alabama. The campaign led to his 13th arrest. King was arrested 30 times in his life.
It was during his confinement that he composed the famous letter from Birmingham jail (PDF). Delivered his most famous speech I Have a Dream on August 28, 1963 during the March on Washington.
I Have a Dream is regarded as one of the finest speeches in the history of American oratory. FBI described King as “the most dangerous and effective Negro leader in the country” and wiretapped his phones to undermine his power as a civil rights leader. - 1964: Arrested on June 11, 1964 for demanding service at a white-only restaurant in Florida, President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Received the Nobel Peace Prize on October 14, 1964 at the age of 35, the youngest person ever to receive this. He donated his prize money of $54,000 towards the civil rights struggle. names Man of the Year by Time magazine. The National Security Agency (NSA) started monitoring King’s communications after he criticized the U.S. war in Vietnam.
- 1965: After peaceful protests, President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1964 (PDF), which allowed African Americans to vote
- 1967: On December 4, 1967, King publicly revealed his plans to organize a mass civil disobedience campaign to force the government to end poverty
- 1968: Shot and killed on April 4, 1968 by James Earl Ray, while he was standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Days after King’s assassination, U.S. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (PDF), which prohibited against discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, or national origin.
- Now: Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on the third Monday of January each year. Several cities in the U.S. have their streets named in honor of King.
His legacy lives on.
