Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King.[3] King's father was born "Michael King", and Martin Luther King, Jr., was originally named "Michael King, Jr.," until the family traveled to Europe in 1934 and visited Germany. His father soon changed both of their names to Martin Luther in honor of the German Protestant leader Martin Luther.[4] He had an older sister, Willie Christine King, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel Williams King.[5] King sang with his church choir at the 1939 Atlanta premiere of the movie Gone with the Wind.[6] King was originally skeptical of many of Christianity's claims.[7] Most striking, perhaps, was his denial of the bodily resurrection of Jesus during Sunday school at the age of thirteen. From this point, he stated, "doubts began to spring forth unrelentingly."[8]
King married Coretta Scott, on June 18, 1953, on the lawn of her parents' house in her hometown of Heiberger, Alabama.[9] King and Scott had four children; Yolanda King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, and Bernice King.[10] King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama when he was twenty-five years old in 1954.[11]
On April 4th, 1968. King was staying at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis Tennessee. At around 8am King was walking onto his balcony when he realized his shoe was untied. As he bent down to tie his shoe a shot rang out, causing King to jump on the floor. King later recalled the event as being the luckiest moment of his life. The assassin was later caught after being pulled over for speeding. Kings attempted murder stayed in the news for weeks until the coverage finally began to die down.
After Martin Luther King Jr's attempted murder, he continued to play a part in the civil rights movement, and then in 1970 he ran for a seat as a Georgia Represenative in the House Of Represenatives. He emerged victorious and continued to hold a seat as a Georgia represenative until 1978.
Jimmy Carter was elected president in 1976 with vice president Walter Mondale. Carter and Mondale continued as president and vice president until 1978, when Walter Mondale died of a mysterious illness. 3 Days later, president Jimmy Carter shocked the world by revealing his new vice president. Martin Luther King Jr. Carter and King worked side by side until the 1980 elections, where they defeated Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. Carter and King's presidential achievements are still remembered as the best presidential duo in history.
Martin Luther King Jr. is currently living in Atlanta Georgia with his wife. He is currently 81 years of age and still continues to speak out about current issues in the United States. His last speech was on the Arizona Immigration Law and about the racial profiling in Arizona. "I can't believe that even in the land of opportunity, people still are being profiled due to the color of their skin" Martin Luther King Jr. has also been working with current president Barack Obama on several current events and issues that face the country such as the BP oil spill, and the economy. King is still thought of as one of the most important African American men in US history.
Early life
Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King.[3] King's father was born "Michael King", and Martin Luther King, Jr., was originally named "Michael King, Jr.," until the family traveled to Europe in 1934 and visited Germany. His father soon changed both of their names to Martin Luther in honor of the German Protestant leader Martin Luther.[4] He had an older sister, Willie Christine King, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel Williams King.[5] King sang with his church choir at the 1939 Atlanta premiere of the movie Gone with the Wind.[6] King was originally skeptical of many of Christianity's claims.[7] Most striking, perhaps, was his denial of the bodily resurrection of Jesus during Sunday school at the age of thirteen. From this point, he stated, "doubts began to spring forth unrelentingly."[8]King married Coretta Scott, on June 18, 1953, on the lawn of her parents' house in her hometown of Heiberger, Alabama.[9] King and Scott had four children; Yolanda King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, and Bernice King.[10] King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama when he was twenty-five years old in 1954.[11]
Education
Growing up in Atlanta, King attended Booker T. Washington High School. He skipped both the ninth and the twelfth grade and entered Morehouse College at age fifteen without formally graduating from high school.[12] In 1948, he graduated from Morehouse with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology, and enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1951.[13][14] King then began doctoral studies in systematic theology at Boston University and received his Doctor of Philosophy on June 5, 1955, with a dissertation on "A Comparison of the Conceptions of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wieman." A 1980s inquiry concluded portions of his dissertation had been plagiarized and he had acted improperly but that his dissertation still "makes an intelligent contribution to scholarship."[15] (See:Martin Luther King, Jr. authorship issues)Attempted Assassination
On April 4th, 1968. King was staying at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis Tennessee. At around 8am King was walking onto his balcony when he realized his shoe was untied. As he bent down to tie his shoe a shot rang out, causing King to jump on the floor. King later recalled the event as being the luckiest moment of his life. The assassin was later caught after being pulled over for speeding. Kings attempted murder stayed in the news for weeks until the coverage finally began to die down.House Of Represenatives
After Martin Luther King Jr's attempted murder, he continued to play a part in the civil rights movement, and then in 1970 he ran for a seat as a Georgia Represenative in the House Of Represenatives. He emerged victorious and continued to hold a seat as a Georgia represenative until 1978.Walter Mondale Death & Vice Presidency
Jimmy Carter was elected president in 1976 with vice president Walter Mondale. Carter and Mondale continued as president and vice president until 1978, when Walter Mondale died of a mysterious illness. 3 Days later, president Jimmy Carter shocked the world by revealing his new vice president. Martin Luther King Jr. Carter and King worked side by side until the 1980 elections, where they defeated Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. Carter and King's presidential achievements are still remembered as the best presidential duo in history.Current Life
Martin Luther King Jr. is currently living in Atlanta Georgia with his wife. He is currently 81 years of age and still continues to speak out about current issues in the United States. His last speech was on the Arizona Immigration Law and about the racial profiling in Arizona. "I can't believe that even in the land of opportunity, people still are being profiled due to the color of their skin" Martin Luther King Jr. has also been working with current president Barack Obama on several current events and issues that face the country such as the BP oil spill, and the economy. King is still thought of as one of the most important African American men in US history.