Interesting facts about Martin Luther King , Jr .
Martin Luther King , Jr . was one of the most influential figures of the 20th century . King ’ s tireless activism during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s improved the lives of millions of people , and his tragic assassination on April 4 , 1968 , marked one of the darkest days in American history .
King ’ s oratory prowess is well-documented . Individuals across the globe are familiar with his “ I Have a Dream ” speech , which King delivered during the March on Washington less than a year before his death . Less familiar are some other notable facts about the life of Martin Luther King , Jr .
• If he were alive today , Martin Luther King , Jr . would still be years away from his 100th birthday . King was assassinated in 1968 , when he was not yet 40 years old . Born in Atlanta in 1929 , King could very much still be alive today and would have celebrated his 93rd birthday on January 15 , 2022 .
• King was an extraordinarily gifted student . At an age when many students were preparing to enter their sophomore or junior year of high school , King
began his freshman year of college at Morehouse College . King enrolled at Morehouse when he was 15 after the school opened enrollment to junior high students in an effort to overcome a dip in enrollment related to World War II . King passed the entrance exam and enrolled in the fall of 1944 .
• King was ordained as a minister prior to graduating from Morehouse . The Baptist ministry was something of a family business for the Kings , as Martin Luther King Jr .’ s father , grandfather and great grandfather were all Baptist ministers . However , King did not initially intend to follow that path . He ultimately changed course and entered the ministry at age 18 , graduating from Morehouse with a degree in sociology a year later .
• King survived a knife attack years before his assassination . King was stabbed in the chest with a letter opener during a book signing event in Harlem in 1958 . His assailant , Izola Curry , was ultimately deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial . Though the attack did not kill him , King had to undergo intensive emergency surgery and was hospitalized for several weeks .
• Conspiracy theories surround King ’ s assassination . King ’ s assassin , James Earl Ray , was found guilty and sentenced to 99 years in prison . Authorities , including the United States Department of Justice , concluded Ray , a career criminal , acted alone . However , some , including surviving members of King ’ s family , believed his assassination was part of a conspiracy .
Despite his tragic assassination in 1968 , Martin Luther King , Jr . left his mark on the world . That legacy is even more remarkable when considering the unique twists and turns King ’ s life took prior to his death .
24 Winter 2022 Thomasville Scene