Martin Luther King

Born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, under the name Michael King, Jr., he studied theology at Morehouse College and Boston University. The son of pastor Michael King Sr., he was ordained as a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama, after both he and his father changed their names in honor of Martin Luther. He led the Christian movement of African Americans against racial discrimination through nationwide sit-in demonstrations, following Gandhi's non-violence model. His struggle often resulted in imprisonment. He also fought against the Vietnam War. In 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.