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Meet the civil rights leader in our Martin Luther King facts and discover how he changed history for millions of African-American people during the Civil Rights Movement...
Martin Luther King facts

Full name: Michael King Jr.
Born: 15 January 1929.
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Occupation: Minister and activist.
Died: 4 April 1968.
Best known for: Campaigning for the rights of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

1) Martin Luther King Jr was born in the United States of America to African American parents. At birth he was named Michael King, but his father later changed his name to Martin Luther King Jr.

2) When Martin Luther King was growing up, life was hard for African Americans. The Southern United States operated under the 'Jim Crow laws' that kept black and white people separated in what was called 'segregation'. Black people had different schools, toilets and even sections of the bus to white people. They were also denied the right to vote in elections.

3) Martin Luther King had his first experience of segregation at just six years old, when he was told he wasn't allowed to play with his white friend anymore - his friend's father wouldn't allow it!

4) His first major role in the Civil Rights Movement came in 1955, after an African American lady - Rosa Parks - was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a bus. This sparked outrage in the African American community and Martin helped to organise a boycott of the city's buses. After 381 days of protest, a court finally ruled that such segregation laws should no longer be recognised.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Martin Luther King primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

5) Martin was a great believer in peaceful protest, inspired by the Indian activist Mahatma Gandhi. His protests used no-violent tactics, even when the protesters themselves were met with violence from the police.

6) In 1963, Martin gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, at a famous rally named 'March on Washington.' Over 250,000 people gathered in the country's capital to hear Martin and other activists speak about the importance of civil rights. It has become one of the most famous speeches in history and focuses on Martin's dream of a society where black people and white people live together in harmony.

7) In 1964 - 99 years after the abolition of slavery - the Civil Rights Act was passed, outlawing racial segregation and discrimination in the USA.

8) In October 1964, Martin won the Nobel Peace Prize! He was told over the phone whilst he was in bed suffering from exhaustion - it had been a long, hard fight for civil rights!

9) Tragically, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in 1968 in Tennessee, where he had given a speech the day before. He was standing on the balcony his hotel when he was shot. James Earl Ray was convicted of his murder and spent the rest of his life in prison, despite claiming to be innocent. James died in 1998.

10) Martin Luther King Jr is remembered for his tireless work during the Civil Rights Movement and his dream that one day everyone would be treated as equals. A statue built in his memory now stands in Washington D.C. and each year, the third Monday in January is celebrated as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an American federal holiday.

Want to know more? Check out Nat Geo Kids' and Nelson Mandela articles to learn about the vital work of these incredible activists.

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Martin Luther King facts | National Geographic Kids

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Learn about the world-famous civil rights campaigner in our Martin Luther King facts. Born in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States of America, Martin Luther King is famous for campaigning for the rights of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s and his assassination in 1968...

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Explore on your own!  Check out books on Epic and MyOn!  Search for Martin Luther King Jr. 

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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PBS LEARNING MEDIA | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | PBS KIDS

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This video is 7 minutes long - Look at this AFTER everything else!

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How To Draw Cartoon Martin Luther King Jr

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Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? Read Aloud with Author Lisbeth Kaiser | Brightly Storytime Together

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Martin Luther King Jr. was an important leader and activist in the Civil Rights Movement.

He was born Michael King Jr. on January 15th 1929 in Atlanta Georgia.

His father Michael King was a pastor of Ebenezer Baptist church.

Later Michael King and Michael King Jr. changed their names to Martin Luther after German Protestant leader Martin Luther.

Martin Luther King Jr. skipped 9th and 12th grade and entered college at the age of 15.

Martin Luther King Jr. first attended Morehouse College and received a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology. He then went to Crozer Theological Seminary and received a degree in Divinity (religious studies), later he received a doctrine at Boston University.

Martin Luther King Jr. married Coretta Scott in 1953.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King had four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther King III, Dexter and Bernice.

He became a pastor at Dexter Ave Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

In 1955 he took leadership of the Montgomery Bus Boycott where Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat and moving to the back of the bus for a white man.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted a year and on November 13th 1956 the supreme court declared segregation on busses was unconstitutional.

In 1957 along with other civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to organize and conduct non-violent protests for civil rights.

Martin Luther King Jr. with other civil rights activists will go on to lead many non-violent protests for civil rights around the country.

In February 1959 Martin Luther King Jr. traveled to India to study Mahatma Gandhi's principles of non-violence.

Gandhi's principles of peaceful resistance had a lasting impression on Martin Luther King Jr., he used them in his fight against racial discrimination.

On June 23rd 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. lead a Freedom Walk in Detroit Michigan, 125,000 took part in the walk.

On August 28th 1963 at a historic march in Washington DC for jobs, freedom, racial equality and the end of discrimination Martin Luther King delivered his "I have a dream" speech.

On October 14th 1964 Martin Luther King Jr. became the youngest man (age 35) to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through non-violence.

Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested many times during his protests for civil rights.

November 27 1967 Martin Luther King announces the Poor People Campaign focusing on jobs and freedom for the poor of all races.

Martin Luther King Jr. also protested against the Vietnam war.

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4th 1968 on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee.

On November 2nd 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill to declare Martin Luther King Jr. Day in remembrance of all the great things he did to fight for civil rights.

He was the first African American to be granted a national holiday.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated the third Monday on January.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated in January because his birthday is in January.

Martin Luther King Day was celebrated for the first time on January 20th 1986.

All 50 states did not recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day at a paid day off holiday until 2000.

Utah was the last state to declare Martin Luther King Jr. a holiday.

Over 1,000 streets are named after Martin Luther King Jr.

"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do keep moving forward."

"Only in the darkness can you see the stars."

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education."

"Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude."

"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live."

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

"The quality, not the longevity of one's life is what is important."

"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal."

"We must use time creatively."

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."

"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him."

"A riot is the language of the unheard."

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

"A lie cannot live."

"Whenever men and women straighten their backs up they are going somewhere, because a man can't ride your back unless it is bent."

"Courage faces fear and thereby masters it."

"If we do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we will be a blind and toothless nation."

"No person has the right to rain on your dreams."

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

"Free at last, Free at last, thank god almighty we are free at last."

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Martin Luther King Jr. Facts and Quotes for Kids

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Martin Luther King Jr. was an important leader and activist in the Civil Rights Movement. He was born Michael King Jr. on January 15th 1929 in Atlanta Georgia. His father Michael King was a pastor of Ebenezer Baptist church. Later Michael King and Michael King Jr.

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Website to explore

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Kids learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s biography. A great civil rights leader.

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National Geographic for Kids Website

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Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., never backed down in his stand against racism. Learn more about the life of this courageous hero who inspired millions of people to right a historical wrong.

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Martin Luther King Jr. For Kids | Song & Rap

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The Story of Martin Luther King Jr. by Kid President

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Watch a video, answer questions, and more!