15 things you may not know about Martin Luther King Jr.
Every year on the third Monday of January we remember the extraordinary life of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. When we’re young, we typically learn about his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. In the last few years, King’s notable presence at the marches in Selma, Ala., has become a topic of discussion. But there are plenty of facts about Martin Luther King Jr. that you may not know. Here are a few.
1. King’s birth name was Michael
The civil rights leader was born Michael King Jr. on Jan. 15, 1929. According to The History Channel, his father traveled to Germany a few years later and became inspired by the Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther. King Sr. then changed his own name as well as the name of his 5-year-old son.
2. King allegedly attempted suicide at a young age
Distraught over his grandmother's death, King allegedly attempted to commit suicide by jumping out of a second-story window at age 12.
3. King entered college at age 15
It has been reported that King skipped grades nine and 12 before enrolling in Morehouse College in 1944.
4. King wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer
Several biographers note that King was interested in medicine and law before joining the Baptist church.
5. King's "I Have a Dream" speech was not his first at the Lincoln Memorial
King was one of several civil rights leaders who spoke during the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom on May 17, 1957. He delivered his first national address on the topic of voting rights.
6. Foreign cities honor King’s life and legacy
Martin Luther King Jr. Day also is celebrated in Toronto, Canada, and Hiroshima, Japan.
7. King was imprisoned nearly 30 times
According to the King Center, King went to jail 29 times. The civil rights leader was arrested for acts of civil disobedience and even jailed once for driving just 5 miles per hour over the speed limit.
8. King was a Trekkie
We don’t know if King ever did any Cosplay. But he was a big enough fan of the show to persuade actress Nichelle Nichols (who played Lt. Uhurua) to stay on when she was thinking of leaving for Broadway, says The Washington Post.
9. King's honeymoon getaway included a stay at a funeral parlor
It has been said that at the time King married Coretta Scott in Marion, Ala., in 1953, local hotels refused to rent rooms to African-Americans. So they spent their wedding night at a friend's funeral parlor.
10. King narrowly escaped an assassination attempt a decade before his death
On Sept. 20, 1958, King was in Harlem signing copies of his book, "Stride Toward Freedom," in Blumstein’s department store. He was by Izola Ware Curry, who plunged a seven-inch letter opener into his chest. It narrowly missed his aorta, and King underwent hours of emergency surgery.
11. King is the youngest male to receive the Nobel Peace Prize
King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at age 35. As of 2018, he remains the youngest male to receive the prize. Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai remains the youngest female.
12. King's mother was also shot to death
On June 30, 1974, Alberta Williams King was shot by Marcus Wayne Chenault Jr. as she played the organ for Sunday service at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Chenault claimed he received divine instructions to kill King's father but shot at his mother because she was closer.
13. Members of King's family did not believe James Earl Ray acted alone
Career criminal James Earl Ray pled guilty to King’s assassination but later recanted. King's widow Coretta believed federal agencies were involved in the murder, especially when the jury of a 1999 civil trial in Memphis decided the assassination was the result of a conspiracy and that Ray was the fall guy. In 2000, the U.S. Department of Justice launched its own investigation and determined there was no evidence to support a conspiracy.
14. If the bullet didn’t kill King, stress might have
King was assassinated at age 39 on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. According to historian Taylor Branch, King’s autopsy revealed that he had the heart of a 60-year-old man, likely due to stress.
15. The U.S. didn't fully honor King until the year 2000
Although the federal holiday was enacted in 1983, all 50 states did not officially observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day until 2000. South Carolina became the final state to recognize the federal holiday.
3. King entered college at age 15
It has been reported that King skipped grades nine and 12 before enrolling in Morehouse College in 1944.
12. King's mother was also shot to death
On June 30, 1974, Alberta Williams King was shot by Marcus Wayne Chenault Jr. as she played the organ for Sunday service at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Chenault claimed he received divine instructions to kill King's father but shot at his mother because she was closer.
Christine King Farris, the last living sibling of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., has died at 95 after working for decades to preserve and promote King’s legacy.
Carthage College in Kenosha has recognized 10 Legacy Award winners ahead of the MLK holiday for living out the teachings of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Students from Julian Thomas School Elementary School wore paper crowns showing their anticipated future professions and the reasons why they chose them.
