Martin Luther King Jr Biography

This coming Monday, many of us will enjoy the day off. Do you know why? Ask yourself, what can I say about the man for whom this day is named?

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an important leader in the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and ’60s. He advocated for a nonviolent approach to change and is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in world history.

Read on to learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr.

• He was born Michael, but later changed his name to Martin Luther.
• He was the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Baptist ministers.
• Both his father (and namesake) and his grandfather were pastors at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. King continued the legacy.
• He graduated high school at the age of 15.
• He graduated from Boston University’s School of Theology with a doctorate in 1955.
• Time Magazine named him Man of the Year in 1963.
• He received the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35, the youngest man at that point to receive the award.
• Many of his writings have become an iconic part of the American canon. His “I Have a Dream” speech, Nobel Peace Prize lecture and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” are still drawn upon as important and influential pieces of work.