One of the facts about Martin Luther King Jr. that most people are unaware of: His birth certificate reads Michael King, an ode to his father, a former pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

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 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.

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 ...

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 ...

(Reuters) - Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was shot in Memphis 40 years ago today in a racially charged assassination. Following are some facts about King: * Born in 1929 in Atlanta, King ...