Martin Luther King Jr

Martin Luther King Jr was born on 15 January 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of a Baptist minister. He was a precocious student, entering Morehouse College at just 15 and going on to study theology at Crozer Theological Seminary and Boston University, where he earned his doctorate. In 1954 he became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. King was chosen to lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott — a 381-day campaign that ended with the Supreme Court ruling bus segregation unconstitutional. It was the beginning of his leadership of the American civil rights movement.

King led and inspired one of the most significant social movements in human history, organising marches, sit-ins and campaigns across the American South. His philosophy of non-violent resistance — inspired by Mahatma Gandhi — confronted the brutality of segregation with dignity and moral authority. His 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech to 250,000 people, is one of the defining moments of the 20th century.

In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 35. He continued to expand his activism beyond civil rights — opposing the Vietnam War and campaigning for economic justice for all Americans, regardless of race.

On 4 April 1968, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 39 years old. His death sparked riots in over 100 American cities. His birthday, 15 January, is now a federal holiday in the United States.