Martin Luther King, Jr.

Birthdate

Jan 15, 1929

Martin Luther King, Jr. is born in Atlanta, Georgia to parents Martin King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King

Morehouse College

Sep 20, 1944

at age 15, King enrolls at Morehouse College to study law and medicine and decided to join the ministry upon entering his senior year.

Graduating Morehouse

May 30, 1948

King graduates from Morehouse with a degree in sociology.

Crozer Theological Seminary

Sep 15, 1948

King enrolls into Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania to study theology for three years. King accomplishes becoming the first black student body president.

Graduating from Crozer

May 23, 1951

King graduates from Crozer with a bachelor of divinity degree

Enters Boston University

Aug 23, 1951

King enrolls at Boston University for doctoral studies and to study religion.

Coretta Scott

Jun 18, 1953

At Boston University, King met Coretta Scott, an aspiring musician, whom he quickly married and had 4 kids with. Their kids were Yolanda, Dexter Scott, Bernice, and Martin Luther King III.

Graduating from Boston University

May 28, 1955

At 25, King earned his Ph.D from Boston University

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Dec 1, 1955

Rosa Parks is arrested for not giving up her seat to a white man, which violated Montgomery's segregation law. Outraged by this discrimination, activists organized the Montgomery
Improvement Association to boycott the city's transit systems with King as their leader.

King is threatened

Jan 30, 1956

During the Montgomery Bus Boycott, King's house is bombeb and he along with his family are now under constant threat

The Supreme Court Ruling

Nov 15, 1956

Bus segregation laws are viewed as unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court

End to the Boycott

Dec 20, 1956

After the long journey of getting the transit systems desegregated, King finally calls off the boycott.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Jan 10, 1957

King as well as 60 ministers and civil rights activists organized the SCLC to promote the use of non-violent protests. With the help of this organization, King was able to lecture around the country and discuss race issues with other activists and religious leaders

Birmingham Campaign

Apr 12, 1963

King organizes the Birmingham Campaign to end lunch counter segregation. With the use of dogs and powerful fire hoses, policemen arrested King along with many of his supporters and participating school children.

March on Washington

Aug 28, 1963

King and other activists organize the March on Washington and he delivers his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in front of 200,000 or more interracial civilians. Due to his speech, the Civil Rights ACt of 1964 was passed and discrimination was illegal in buildings that were publicly owned and desegregation in public places was enforced.

Selma March

Mar 25, 1965

King organized this march to prmote the need for federal voting rights giving legal support for the enfranchisement of balcks in the South. During the march, King and his followers were stopped by state troopers with weapons. Scheduling a second march, King led his followers outside of Selma where they were met by more state troopers. King's response was to kneel and pray and turn back. This action cost him a great deal of support.

Opposition to War and Poverty

Apr 4, 1967

In attempt to regain his supporters, King tried to speak about other concerns, such as war and poverty. King was against
U.S. war involvement, especially in Vietnam. He also tried to organize a coalition of the poor to help spread word about economic problems but this didn't follow through due to lack of support.

Death

Apr 4, 1968

Martin Luther King, Jr. is assasinated by James Earl Ray while standing on his room's second story balcony at the Lorraine Motel