Martin Luther King.

Martin Luther King Jr. Michael King Jr.

Martin Luther King — Activist

Born 15 Jan 1929 Atlanta, United States

Died 4 Apr 1968 Memphis, United States

Citizenship United States

Would Be 97 yr If Living

16 min read

Reading time

3,195

Words

Mar 1, 2026

Published

142

Film credits

34

Books

15

Awards

TL;DR

Martin Luther King Jr. led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. He co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and organized the 1963 March on Washington, where he gave his I Have a Dream speech. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at age 35, the youngest recipient at the time. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, while supporting striking sanitation workers.

Identity & family.

KIN · 9

Names, aliases, and relatives of Martin Luther King — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Michael King Jr.

Native Name Martin Luther King Jr.

Nicknames M.L.K.

Aliases Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr, Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr., Martin Luther King Jnr., Martin Luther King Jr, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr Martin Luther King, Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr. King, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Rev. Martin Luther King, Reverend Martin Luther King

PARENTS: Alberta Williams King Martin Luther King Sr.
SPOUSES: Coretta Scott King
CHILDREN: Yolanda King Martin Luther King III Dexter Scott King Bernice King
SIBLINGS: Christine King Farris A. D. King

At a glance.

STATS

Martin Luther King by the numbers — life, work, and family.

39 Years lived

142 Film credits

34 Books

15 Awards

1 Marriage

4 Children

Who was Martin Luther King?

BIOGRAPHY

Martin Luther King — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

At age six, Martin Luther King Jr. experienced a pivotal moment when a white friend’s mother refused to let them play together because of his race. That incident, as he later recalled, altered the direction of his life. King excelled academically, skipping ninth and 12th grades, and became a standout public speaker.

He entered Morehouse College at age 15, at first intending to become a doctor or lawyer. After graduating, he attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, where he was one of only six black students. A lecture on Mohandas Gandhi’s nonviolent philosophy gave him the basis for positive change. King earned a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University in 1955.

Career

In 1955, after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat, King was elected leader of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which organized a yearlong bus boycott. The boycott ended when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation on buses unconstitutional. King then helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference SCLC in 1957, becoming its first president.

In 1961, King coordinated freedom rides to challenge segregation in interstate travel, facing violent attacks in Alabama. The 1963 Birmingham campaign saw King and other marchers attacked by police with fire hoses and dogs, broadcast nationally and sparking outrage. Later that year, King delivered his I Have a Dream speech at the March on Washington, attended by nearly 200,000 people.

King expanded his activism to economic justice and opposition to the Vietnam War. In 1968, he traveled to Memphis to support striking sanitation workers, where he was assassinated.

Personal life

While pursuing his Ph.D. at Boston University, King met Coretta Scott, a soprano studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. They married in 1953 and had four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther III, Dexter, and Bernice. King’s father, Martin Luther King Sr., was a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, and his mother, Alberta Williams King, was a schoolteacher. King had two siblings: Christine King Farris and A.D. King.

Despite warnings from Coretta about danger in the South, King insisted on moving to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1954 to pastor Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. He worked tirelessly, often 20-hour days, and collapsed from exhaustion in 1964.

Legacy

King’s nonviolent leadership transformed the civil rights movement and led to landmark legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He remains the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in history, winning in 1964 at age 35. In 1986, Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday, and it is now observed in all 50 states.

King received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal after his death. His speeches and writings still move activists worldwide. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, a statue in Washington, D.C., dedicated in 2011, honors his work.

Filmography.

FILMS · 142

Browse the complete filmography of Martin Luther King — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

TV

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962
TV

American Experience

1988
TV

Basketball: a Love Story

2018
TV

Omnibus

1967
TV

Explained

2018
TV

Kulturzeit

1995
TV

Mentiras Verdaderas

2011
TV

Dispatches

1987
Movie

Bobby

2006
TV

World in Action

1963
Movie

The Doors

1991
TV

History 101

2020
Movie

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

2009
TV

This Is Pop

2021

Could not load more credits.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 15

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Martin Luther King — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Nobel Peace Prize
Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding
United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights
Gandhi Peace Award
Pacem in Terris Award
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Margaret Sanger Awards
Time Person of the Year
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Congressional Gold Medal
Humanitarian of the Year
Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo
Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Spingarn Medal
Honorary Doctor of Hofstra University

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 34

Martin Luther King's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

Amazon

Why We Can't Wait

by Martin Luther King Jr. et al.
Amazon

A Call to Conscience

by Martin Luther King Jr. et al.
Amazon

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

by Martin Luther King Jr. et al.
Amazon

Stride Toward Freedom

by Martin Luther King Jr.
Amazon

I Have a Dream

by Martin Luther King Jr.
Amazon

The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.

by Martin Luther King Jr. et al.
Amazon

Where Do We Go from Here

by Martin Luther King Jr.
Amazon

Strength to Love

by Martin Luther King Jr.
Amazon

The Measure of a Man

by Martin Luther King Jr.
Amazon

Letter from the Birmingham Jail

by Martin Luther King Jr. et al.
Amazon

The Trumpet of Conscience

by Martin Luther King Jr.
Amazon

Prentice Hall Literature – Gold

by Sumner Braunstein et al.
Amazon

A Knock at Midnight

by Martin Luther King Jr.
Amazon

Conscience for Change

by Martin Luther King Jr.

Could not load more books.

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 21

A wall of memorable lines from Martin Luther King — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

If I Wish to Compose or Write or Pray or Preach Well, I Must Be Angry. Then All the Blood in My Veins Is Stirred, and My Understanding Is Sharpened.
I Have a Dream, That My Four Little Children Will Grow up in a Nation Where They Will Not Judged by the Color of Their Skin, but by the Content of Their Character.
A Nation or Civilization That Continues to Produce Soft Minded Men Purchases Its Own Spiritual Death on the Installment Plan.
Don’t Let Anybody Make You Think God Chose America as His Divine Messianic Force to Be a Sort of Policeman of the Whole World. God Has a Way of Standing Before the Nations with Justice and It Seems I Can Hear God Saying to America, You’re Too Arrogant, and If You Don’t Change Your Ways, I Will Rise up and Break the Backbone of Your Power, and I Will Place It in the Hands of a Nation That Doesn’t Even Know My Name. Be Still and Know That I’m God. Men Will Beat Their Swords into Plowshafts and Their Spears into Pruning Hooks, and Nations Shall Not Rise up Against Nations, Neither Shall They Study War Anymore. I Don’t Know About You, I Ain’t Going to Study War Anymore.
It May Be True That the Law Cannot Make a Man Love Me, but It Can Keep Him from Lynching Me, and I Think That’s Pretty Important.
I Submit to You That If a Man Hasn’t Discovered Something He Will Die For, He Isn’t Fit to Live.
It May Be True That the Law Can’t Change the Heart, but It Can Restrain the Heartless.
Cowardice Asks the Question, ‘Is It Safe?’ Expediency Asks the Question, ‘Is It Politic?’ and Vanity Comes Along and Asks the Question, ‘Is It Popular?’ but Conscience Asks the Question, ‘Is It Right?’
I Am More Concerned About Doing a Good Job, Doing Something for Humanity and What I Consider the Will of God, Than About Longevity. Untimately It Isn’t so Important How Long You Live. the Important Thing Is How Well You Live.
We Live in a Failed System. Capitalism Does Not Permit an Even Flow of Economic Resources. with This System, a Small Privileged Few Are Rich Beyond Conscience, and Almost All Others Are Doomed to Be Poor at Some Level. That’s the Way the System Works. and Since We Know That the System Will Not Change the Rules, We Are Going to Have to Change the System.
We Fought Hard and Long and I Have Never Doubted That We Would Prevail in the Struggle. Already Our Rewards Have Begun to Reveal Themselves. Desegregation. the Voting Rights Act. but What Deeply Troubles Me Now Is That for All the Steps We Have Taken Toward Integration, I’ve Come to Believe We’re Integrating into a Burning House. I Guess We’re Just Going to Have to Become Firemen.
Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness; Only Light Can Do That. Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate; Only Love Can Do That.
Injustice Anywhere Is a Threat to Justice Everywhere.
There Is This Word We Hear so Often Now, Maladjusted. Well, in This Cause I Am Proud to Be Maladjusted.
Our Lives Begin to End the Day We Remain Silent About Things That Matter.
He Who Is Devoid of the Power to Forgive Is Devoid of the Power to Love.
In the End, We Will Not Remember the Words of Our Enemies, but the Silence of Our Friends.
Nothing in the World Is More Dangerous Than Sincere Ignorance and Conscientious Stupidity.
We Must Learn to Live Together as Brothers or Perish Together as Fools.
Never Forget That Everything Hitler Did in Germany Was Legal.
The Arc of the Moral Universe Is Long, but It Tends Towards Justice.

Did you know?

FACTS · 32

Little-known facts about Martin Luther King — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

King predicted he would not live to age 40, and he died at 39.
At age 35, King was the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, a record later surpassed by Betty Williams at 33 in 1977.
King is the only U.S. citizen to have a national holiday dedicated solely to him.
The first national celebration of King’s birthday as a holiday occurred on January 20, 1986.
King was stabbed in 1958 while promoting his book Stride Toward Freedom.
He earned a Ph.D. in systematic theology in 1955.
King was a Trekkie and encouraged Nichelle Nichols to stay on Star Trek; he is portrayed by LeVar Burton in the film Ali.
King won the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10, 1964.
His father originally named him Michael Luther King but changed his own name to Martin; King later followed suit against his father’s initial wishes.
King became pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in 1960.
His children are Yolanda King 1955-2007, Martin Luther King III b. 1957, Dexter Scott King 1961-2024, and Bernice King b. 1963.
He appeared on a 15-cent U.S. commemorative postage stamp in the Black Heritage series issued January 13, 1979.
When shot, King was on his way to a soul food dinner at Reverend Samuel Kyles’ home and had planned to attend a rally for striking sanitation workers.
King was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Time magazine named him Man of the Year for 1963.
Among his nonviolent heroes was Mohandas K. Gandhi.
At his funeral, his casket was pulled by a mule-driven cart down Atlanta’s main street.
On King’s 60th birthday in 1988, the U.S. government unveiled a statue memorial to commemorate civil rights progress.
U2’s song Pride In the Name of Love on their 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire is about King.
King publicly spoke out against the Vietnam War in 1967.
He graduated from Crozer Theological Seminary with a B.D. in 1951.
He was inducted into the International Mustache Hall of Fame in 2015 in the Politics & Leadership category.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on the third Monday of January, and all 50 states now observe it.
King graduated from Morehouse College in 1948.
He is portrayed by LeVar Burton in the 2001 film Ali.
King was the younger brother of Christine King Farris and A.D. King.
He was the uncle of Dr. Alveda King.
He was pictured on a commemorative 25-cent postage label issued by the Independent Postal System of America in 1973.
King’s granddaughter is Yolanda Renee King.
A Santa Monica auditorium was named in his honor with his daughter Yolanda officiating and Anthony Begonia organizing music.
King was friends with Ralph Abernathy, Harry Belafonte, Andrew Young, James Baldwin, Ossie Davis, Tony Bennett, and Otis Moss Jr.
He died on the same day 2001: A Space Odyssey was released in the USA, which was also Anthony Perkins’ 36th birthday.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 42

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Martin Luther King.

When was Martin Luther King born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was originally named Michael King Jr. after his father, but his father later changed both their names to Martin.
Where was Martin Luther King born?

King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He grew up in the city’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood, where his father was pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church.
When did Martin Luther King die?

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 39 years old at the time of his death.
How did Martin Luther King die?

King died from a gunshot wound inflicted by a sniper while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The assassination occurred at 6:01 p.m. on April 4, 1968.
How old was Martin Luther King when he died?

King was 39 years old when he was assassinated. He had predicted he would not live to see age 40.
Where did Martin Luther King die?

King died in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, at the Lorraine Motel. The motel is now part of the National Civil Rights Museum.
What was Martin Luther King's birth name?

King was born Michael King Jr. His father, Michael King Sr., changed both their names to Martin after becoming a minister, inspired by Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer.
How tall was Martin Luther King?

King was 5 feet 7 inches tall, or 1.69 meters. Despite his modest stature, he was a commanding presence as a speaker and leader.
What is Martin Luther King best known for?

King is best known for his leadership in the American civil rights movement, particularly the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and his 1963 I Have a Dream speech at the March on Washington. He advocated nonviolent resistance to racial segregation and discrimination.
Was Martin Luther King married?

King married Coretta Scott on June 18, 1953. The couple met while King was studying at Boston University and Coretta was studying music at the New England Conservatory.
Did Martin Luther King have children?

King had four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther III, Dexter, and Bernice King. Yolanda passed away in 2007, and Dexter passed away in 2024.
Did Martin Luther King have siblings?

King had two siblings: an older sister, Christine King Farris, and a younger brother, A.D. King. Christine was a teacher and author, and A.D. was also a pastor.
Who were Martin Luther King's parents?

His parents were Martin Luther King Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a schoolteacher. His father was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement and pastored Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
Who were Martin Luther King's relatives?

King’s relatives include his grandchildren, such as Yolanda Renee King, and his nieces and nephews, including Dr. Alveda King. His extended family has remained active in civil rights and public life.
How many awards did Martin Luther King win?

King received 15 major awards during his lifetime, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal.
What nickname was Martin Luther King known by?

King was often referred to by the nickname M.L.K. by friends and family. He was also commonly called Dr. King or Reverend King.
Why did Martin Luther King have multiple aliases?

King used various titles and iterations of his name in formal contexts, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and simply Dr. King, reflecting his roles as a minister and scholar.
What was Martin Luther King's education?

King attended Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary, and Boston University, where he earned a Ph.D. in systematic theology. He also studied at Washington High School, David T. Howard High School, and Candler School of Theology.
What awards did Martin Luther King receive?

King received numerous honors, including the Nobel Peace Prize, Time Person of the Year 1963, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal. He also won the Gandhi Peace Award and the Spingarn Medal.
What was Martin Luther King's role in the Montgomery bus boycott?

King was elected leader of the Montgomery Improvement Association in 1955, which organized the boycott after Rosa Parks’ arrest. The boycott lasted 381 days and ended when the Supreme Court declared segregated buses unconstitutional.
What was the Southern Christian Leadership Conference?

King co-founded the SCLC in 1957 to coordinate nonviolent protests across the South. He served as its first president and used the organization to lead campaigns in Birmingham and Selma.
What was the significance of the 1963 March on Washington?

Nearly 200,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington, where King delivered his I Have a Dream speech. The march helped build momentum for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
What was Martin Luther King's famous 'I Have a Dream' speech about?

King’s speech envisioned a future where people would be judged by character, not skin color. He spoke of racial equality and the fulfillment of the American dream, drawing on the Declaration of Independence.
Why did Martin Luther King oppose the Vietnam War?

King publicly spoke out against the Vietnam War in 1967, arguing that the war drained resources from domestic poverty programs and disproportionately affected black soldiers. His stance cost him some support.
What was Martin Luther King's last campaign?

King’s final campaign was the Poor People’s Campaign and support for striking sanitation workers in Memphis. He traveled to Memphis in early April 1968, where he delivered his Mountain Top speech on April 3, the night before his assassination.
Where was Martin Luther King assassinated?

King was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The motel is now a museum dedicated to the civil rights movement.
Who assassinated Martin Luther King?

King was killed by a sniper, identified as James Earl Ray, who was convicted of the murder. There have been lingering questions about a possible conspiracy, but Ray maintained his guilt.
What is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the third Monday of January. It was first celebrated in 1986 and honors King’s contributions to civil rights and social justice.
How is Martin Luther King remembered today?

King is remembered as a symbol of nonviolent protest and racial equality. His legacy includes the civil rights laws passed in the 1960s, and his birthday is commemorated nationwide.
Did Martin Luther King have a doctorate?

Yes, King earned a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University in 1955. His doctoral research focused on the concepts of God in the thought of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wieman.
What church did Martin Luther King pastor?

King pastored Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, from 1954 to 1960, and later served as co-pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta with his father.
What was Martin Luther King's height?

King stood 5 feet 7 inches tall, or 1.69 meters. Despite his average height, his powerful oratory made him a giant in the civil rights movement.
What was the name of Martin Luther King's wife?

King’s wife was Coretta Scott King, a musician and activist who continued his work after his death. They met while she was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.
How many children did Martin Luther King have?

King had four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther III, Dexter, and Bernice King. All have been involved in civil rights and public service in various capacities.
What were Martin Luther King's hobbies?

King enjoyed playing the violin and public speaking from a young age. He also had a passion for books and academic pursuits, which led him to skip two grades in school.
Was Martin Luther King a Trekkie?

Yes, King was a fan of the original Star Trek television series. He encouraged actress Nichelle Nichols to remain on the show, recognizing the importance of her role as a black female officer.
What fraternity was Martin Luther King a member of?

King was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men.
Did Martin Luther King win a Nobel Prize?

Yes, King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at the age of 35, making him the youngest recipient at the time. He donated the prize money to the civil rights movement.
What were Martin Luther King's views on nonviolence?

King was deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance. He applied these principles to the civil rights movement, believing that peaceful protest could overcome racial injustice.
What is the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial?

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is a statue in Washington, D.C., dedicated in 2011. It features a 30-foot granite carving of King emerging from a stone, symbolizing hope and determination.
What song is about Martin Luther King?

U2’s 1984 song Pride In the Name of Love is about King. The lyrics reference his assassination and his commitment to nonviolent struggle.
How old was Martin Luther King when he graduated from college?

King graduated from Morehouse College at age 19 in 1948. He then earned a Bachelor of Divinity from Crozer Theological Seminary in 1951 and a Ph.D. from Boston University in 1955.

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Audited & updated by

Michael is the last person to read a profile before it goes live, which makes him the one who catches what everyone else missed. 5 years as a copy editor has given him a sharp sense for what's off. A wrong year, a vague credit, a sentence that almost makes sense but doesn't quite. He's especially thorough with filmographies. He'll tell you that's where most of the errors hide. He's right.

Published on March 1, 2026

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