Martin Luther King Jr., an American civil rights activist, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m at age 39. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy is celebrated each year in January to honor and remember the Civil Rights leader. His work has inspired millions, even decades after his death. While the Civil Baptist minister and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the most prominent leader of the American civil rights movement, occurred on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Learn more about the background, details, and aftermath of the assassination in this article. Just after 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. is fatally shot while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. It was on this day in 1968 that civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was killed by an assassin’s bullet in Memphis. The world has changed greatly since 1968, but King’s message survives intact. On the day of his death, King was in Tennessee to help support a sanitation workers’ strike. At 6:05 P.M. on Thursday, 4 April 1968, Martin Luther King was shot dead while standing on a balcony outside his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, dashed the hopes of black Americans for the commitment of white America to racial equality. White Americans respected him more than other black leaders, but his opposition to the Vietnam War infuriated many. At 6:01 pm, as he stood on the balcony, King was mortally wounded by a bullet that entered the right side of his face, fractured his jaw, exited his lower face, and reentered his body through the neck area, severing vital arteries and causing multiple fractures to his spine. King's assassination led to the outbreak of violence across American cities, with reports of more than 40 casualties, another 3,500 injuries and 27,000 arrests accumulating over the next Martin Luther King Jr. was a social activist and Baptist minister who played a key role in the American civil rights movement until his assassination in 1968. before his death in 1998. MLK Day . Martin Luther King Jr., Day, in the United States, holiday (third Monday in January) honoring the achievements of the civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Established as a federal holiday in 1983, it is usually celebrated with marches and parades and with speeches by civil rights and political leaders. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated annually on the third Monday in January to mark the late activist’s birthday. Martin Luther King Jr. BIRTHDAY: January 15, 1929 DIED: April 4, 1968 On This Day: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Life, Death, Legacy. To commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, C-SPAN Classroom has aggregated a number of video resources to help your students The annual day of remembrance for Martin Luther King Jr. is less than two weeks away, falling on Monday, Jan. 20, the same day as Inauguration Day this year. Here’s what to know about Martin Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., [1] and often referred to shorthand as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the third Monday of January each year. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a visionary leader and advocate for equality who spearheaded the civil rights movement in America through nonviolent protests, inspiring lasting change and leaving an enduring legacy. Despite the national fervor inspired by his death, it took 15 years of persistence by civil rights activists for a holiday created in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to be approved by the federal government and an additional 17 years for it to be recognized in all 50 states. Discover Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes about death. Share with friends. Create amazing picture quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. quotations. King, who was 39 years old at the time, was a polarizing figure to half the country even before his death, said Lerone Martin, director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education
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