10 Things You May Not Know About Martin Luther King Jr.
Ten Things You May Not Know
About Martin Luther King Jr.
By Christopher Klein
ThisarticleisprovidedcourtesyofHistory.com
MartinLutherKingJr.(1929Ͳ1968)wasaBaptistministerandsocialactivistwhoplayedakey
roleintheAmericancivilrightsmovementfromthemidͲ1950suntilhisassassinationin1968.
Explore10surprisingfactsaboutthecivilrightsleaderand1964NobelPeacePrizewinner.
1.King’sbirthnamewasMichael,notMartin.
ThecivilrightsleaderwasbornMichaelKingJr.onJanuary15,1929.In1934,however,his
father,apastoratAtlanta’sEbenezerBaptistChurch,traveledtoGermanyandbecame
inspiredbytheProtestantReformationleaderMartinLuther.Asaresult,KingSr.changedhis
ownnameaswellasthatofhis5ͲyearͲoldson.
2.Kingenteredcollegeattheageof15.
Kingwassuchagiftedstudentthatheskippedgradesnineand12beforeenrollingin1944at
MorehouseCollege,thealmamaterofhisfatherandmaternalgrandfather.Althoughhewas
theson,grandsonandgreatͲgrandsonofBaptistministers,Kingdidnotintendtofollowthe
familyvocationuntilMorehousepresidentBenjaminE.Mays,anotedtheologian,convinced
himotherwise.Kingwasordainedbeforegraduatingcollegewithadegreeinsociology.
3.Kingreceivedhisdoctorateinsystematictheology.
AfterearningadivinitydegreefromPennsylvania’sCrozerTheologicalSeminary,King
attendedgraduateschoolatBostonUniversity,wherehereceivedhisPh.D.degreein1955.
Thetitleofhisdissertationwas“AComparisonoftheConceptionsofGodintheThinkingof
PaulTillichandHenryNelsonWieman.”
4.King’s“IHaveaDream”speechwasnothisfirstattheLincolnMemorial.
SixyearsbeforehisiconicorationattheMarchonWashington,Kingwasamongthecivilrights
leaderswhospokeintheshadowoftheGreatEmancipatorduringthePrayerPilgrimagefor
FreedomonMay17,1957.Beforeacrowdestimatedatbetween15,000and30,000,King
deliveredhisfirstnationaladdressonthetopicofvotingrights.Hisspeech,inwhichheurged
Americato“giveustheballot,”drewstrongreviewsandpositionedhimattheforefrontofthe
civilrightsleadership.
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Article: Copyright © 2013 History.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
10 Things You May Not Know About Martin Luther King Jr.
5.Kingwasjailed29times.
AccordingtotheKingCenter,thecivilrightsleaderwenttojailnearly30times.Hewas
arrestedforactsofcivildisobedienceandontrumpedͲupcharges,suchaswhenhewasjailed
inMontgomery,Alabama,in1956fordriving30milesperhourina25ͲmileͲperͲhourzone.
6.Kingnarrowlyescapedanassassinationattemptadecadebeforehisdeath.
OnSeptember20,1958,KingwasinHarlemsigningcopiesofhisnewbook,“StrideToward
Freedom,”inBlumstein’sdepartmentstorewhenhewasapproachedbyIzolaWareCurry.The
womanaskedifhewasMartinLutherKingJr.Afterhesaidyes,Currysaid,“I’vebeenlooking
foryouforfiveyears,”andsheplungedasevenͲinchletteropenerintohischest.Thetipofthe
bladecametorestalongsidehisaorta,andKingunderwenthoursofdelicateemergency
surgery.SurgeonslatertoldKingthatjustonesneezecouldhavepuncturedtheaortaand
killedhim.Fromhishospitalbedwhereheconvalescedforweeks,Kingissuedastatement
affirminghisnonviolentprinciplesandsayinghefeltnoillwilltowardhismentallyillattacker.
7.King’slastpublicspeechforetoldhisdeath.
KinghadcometoMemphisinApril1968tosupportthestrikeofthecity’sblackgarbage
workers,andinaspeechonthenightbeforehisassassination,hetoldanaudienceatMason
TempleChurch:“Likeanybody,Iwouldliketolivealonglife.Longevityhasitsplace.ButI’m
notconcernedaboutthatnow…I’veseenthePromisedLand.Imaynotgettherewithyou.
ButIwantyoutoknowtonight,thatwe,asapeople,willgettothePromisedLand.AndI’m
happytonight.I’mnotworriedaboutanything.I’mnotfearinganyman.Mineeyeshaveseen
thegloryofthecomingoftheLord.”
8.MembersofKing’sfamilydidnotbelieveJamesEarlRayactedalone.
Ray,acareercriminal,pledguiltytoKing’sassassinationbutlaterrecanted.King’ssonDexter
metpubliclywithRayin1997andarguedforthecasetobereopened.King’swidow,Coretta,
believedtheMafiaandlocal,stateandfederalgovernmentagenciesweredeeplyinvolvedin
themurder.Shepraisedtheresultofa1999civiltrialinwhichaMemphisjurydecidedthe
assassinationwastheresultofaconspiracyandthatRaywassetuptotaketheblame.AU.S.
DepartmentofJusticeinvestigationreleasedin2000reportednoevidenceofaconspiracy.
9.King’smotherwasalsoslainbyabullet.
OnJune30,1974,as69ͲyearͲoldAlbertaWilliamsKingplayedtheorganataSundayservice
insideEbenezerBaptistChurch,MarcusWayneChenaultJr.rosefromthefrontpew,drewtwo
pistolsandbegantofireshots.OneofthebulletsstruckandkilledKing,whodiedstepsfrom
wherehersonhadpreachednonviolence.ThederangedgunmansaidthatChristianswerehis
enemyandthatalthoughhehadreceiveddivineinstructionstokillKing’sfather,whowasin
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Article: Copyright © 2013 History.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
10 Things You May Not Know About Martin Luther King Jr.
thecongregation,hekilledKing’smotherinsteadbecauseshewascloser.Theshootingalso
leftachurchdeacondead.Chenaultreceivedadeathpenaltysentencethatwaslaterchanged
tolifeimprisonment,inpartduetotheKingfamily’soppositiontocapitalpunishment.
10.GeorgeWashingtonistheonlyotherAmericantohavehadhisbirthdayobservedasa
nationalholiday.
In1983PresidentRonaldReagansignedabillthatcreatedafederalholidaytohonorKing.The
holiday,firstcommemoratedin1986,iscelebratedonthethirdMondayinJanuary,closeto
thecivilrightsleader’sJanuary15birthday.
© 2015 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Article: Copyright © 2013 History.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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