January 15: Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. (1929)
Prayer Idea
Pray for justice and reconciliation.
History Note
Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929. He began attending Morehouse College at age 15. Like his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, he decided to become a minister and completed graduate studies in theology.
Supported by his wife, Coretta Scott King, Dr. King became a leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and then organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Inspired by the teachings of Jesus and the example of Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent protest against the British in India, King promoted nonviolent resistance to legal discrimination in the United States.
In 1963 civil rights leaders organized the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. There Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The next year, King received the Nobel Peace Prize. He continued to travel widely and speak frequently until his death at the hands of an assassin in 1968.
Coretta Scott King continued to be a civil rights leader after her husband’s death. She also worked to honor his legacy. She led the effort to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday. A bill to create the holiday was proposed to Congress in every legislative session from 1968 until 1983, when it finally passed and was signed by President Ronald Reagan. The holiday was observed for the first time nationwide in 1986 on the third Monday in January.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King visited the Netherlands in 1965. Photo courtesy the Nationaal Archief.
Learn More
Watch this colorized film of Dr. King’s speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Find more videos, websites, and historic sites related to the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr.
