This day in history: Martin Luther King Jr. is born
On January 15th, 1929, one of America's most prominent civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. was born to Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King in Atlanta, GA.
The heroic civil rights leader is celebrated for his role in combatting discrimination in the South with civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance
SEE ALSO: The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1963, with the help of Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph, King led the massive March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and gave his famous "I Have a Dream" address. Over two hundred and fifty thousand people gathered outside the Lincoln Memorial to hear the now-iconic speech.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed just a year later, prohibiting racial discrimination in school and the work place and outlawing racial segregation in public. The same year, King became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Take a look at the life of Martin Luther King Jr. below:
On April 4, 1968 at the age of 39, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee while supporting the Memphis Sanitation Strike. His legacy is celebrated in America as a federal holiday on third Monday of January each year.
More of this day in history:
This day in history: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords shot in Arizona
This day in history: First presidential election in the United States
This day in history: Grand Canyon national monument is created
