Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The voice of a people

Dr. King is seen here addressing the public - part of his lifelong campaign against systemic racism.

Here's an overview of Dr. King's incredible life story

• 1929: Born in Atlanta, Georgia
• 1944: Enrolls in Morehouse College at age 15
• 1946: The Atlanta Constitution publishes a letter to the editor from King supporting minority rights
• 1954: Becomes minister of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama
• 1955: The 26-year-old King leads boycott of segregated Montgomery buses, gains national reputation
• 1956: King's house is bombed and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling prompts Montgomery to desegregate buses
• 1957: King helps found Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
• 1960: Joins his father as co-pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta
• 1963: King is arrested and jailed during anti-segregation protests in Birmingham; writes Letter From Birmingham City Jail, arguing that individuals have the moral duty to disobey unjust laws and delivers "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington attended by 200,000 protesters, creates powerful image, builds momentum for civil rights legislation
• 1964: Congress passes Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing segregation in public accommodations and discrimination in education and employment. King receives Nobel Peace Prize
• 1965: King and SCLC join voting-rights march from Selma to Montgomery; police beat and tear gas marchers; King addresses rally before state capitol, builds support for voting rights. Congress passes Voting Rights Act of 1965, which suspends (later bans) literacy tests and other restrictions to prevent blacks from voting
• 1966: Growing popularity of the black power movement, blacks stressing self-reliance and self-defense, indicates King's influence was declining, especially among young blacks. King turns toward economic issues; SCLC moves civil rights struggle to the North; opens Chicago office to organize protests against housing and employment discrimination
• 1967: King plans Poor People's Campaign; advocates redistribution of wealth to eradicate black poverty
• 1968: King is assassinated in Memphis, during visit to support striking black garbage collectors; violent riots erupt in more than 100 U.S. cities