Martin Luther King Jr.: Life, Legacy, and Key Questions Answered

Most people know Martin Luther King Jr. as the face of the civil rights movement, but his legacy runs deeper than the “I Have a Dream” speech. Born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, he became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1964.

Born: January 15, 1929, Atlanta, Georgia, USA ·
Assassinated: April 4, 1968, Memphis, Tennessee, USA ·
Nobel Peace Prize: 1964 ·
Key Speech: “I Have a Dream” (August 28, 1963) ·
Number of Times Shot: 1 (fatal shot)

What was Martin Luther King so famous for?

Martin Luther King Jr. was famous for leading the civil rights movement using nonviolent resistance, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955) and delivering the “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington (1963). He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

What are 5 facts about Martin Luther King and his legacy?

Early life and education

• King was born Michael King Jr. on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta; his father later changed both their names to Martin Luther (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• He earned a PhD in systematic theology from Boston University in 1955 (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Personal details

• He married Coretta Scott in 1953; they had four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther III, Dexter, and Bernice (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Did Martin Luther King support LGBTQ rights?

Historical evidence of his views

King did not make a public speech about homosexuality, but a 1965 letter to a gay activist expressed support (Stanford SearchWorks).

Correspondence with an activist

His widow Coretta Scott King publicly supported LGBTQ inclusion.

When and where was Martin Luther King born and assassinated?

Born January 15, 1929; died April 4, 1968 (Library of Congress).

For further reading, see Martin Luther King: Life, Legacy, and Controversies.