Few names in American history carry as much recognition as Martin Luther King Jr., yet the man behind the holiday is often reduced to a single speech. Born on January 15, 1929, he reshaped civil rights law before his assassination in Memphis on April 4, 1968, and this page separates his recorded life from the rumors around his legacy.
Born: January 15, 1929, Atlanta, Georgia · Assassinated: April 4, 1968, Memphis, Tennessee · Age at death: 39 years old · Nobel Peace Prize: 1964 · Children: Four (Yolanda, Martin III, Dexter, Bernice) · Presidential Medal of Freedom: Awarded posthumously in 1977
Quick snapshot
- Born January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
- Led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- Helped organize the 1963 March on Washington and delivered the “I Have a Dream” speech (National Archives (federal record keeper)). (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive))
- Assassinated April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee (National Archives (federal record keeper)). (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive))
- Whether King had any warning of the shot in his final moments (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)).
- The full extent of any conspiracy behind the assassination (National Archives (federal record keeper)). (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers))
- The precise details of the widely repeated Julia Roberts hospital-bill story (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)). (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers))
- 1955 — Montgomery Bus Boycott launches King into national leadership (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- 1963 — March on Washington and “I Have a Dream” (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- 1964 — Nobel Peace Prize (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)).
- 1968 — Assassination in Memphis (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- The King Papers Project continues to publish the full documentary record of King’s life (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)).
- Federal files related to the assassination remain open for public researchers at the National Archives (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- Each January, the holiday brings a fresh wave of fact-checking around King’s quotes and family stories.
Eight facts, one pattern: the public record on King is richest where personal papers and federal records intersect.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Martin Luther King Jr. (National Archives (federal record keeper)) |
| Born | January 15, 1929, Atlanta, Georgia (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)) |
| Died | April 4, 1968, Memphis, Tennessee (National Archives (federal record keeper)) |
| Spouse | Coretta Scott King (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)) |
| Children | Yolanda, Martin Luther III, Dexter, Bernice (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)) |
| Education | Ph.D. in Theology from Boston University (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)) |
| Major Work | Leader of the American Civil Rights Movement (National Archives (federal record keeper)) |
| Award | Nobel Peace Prize (1964) (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)) |
King’s life sits at a rare intersection of two durable archives: a university publishing project and a federal records system. When those two sources agree, the fact is effectively settled.
What are 5 interesting facts about Martin Luther King, Jr.?
His birth name was Michael King Jr.
- King was born Michael King Jr. on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, named after his father, the Reverend Michael King Sr. (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
- After a trip to Germany, his father changed both their names to Martin Luther King, after the Protestant reformer (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
The implication: the name on most monuments is a chosen name, not a birth name — which is why primary records matter even for the most famous figures.
He entered college at age 15.
- King skipped grades in school and enrolled at Morehouse College at 15 (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
- At Morehouse, he was influenced by college president Benjamin E. Mays, who pressed students to use their education for social change (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
- He later studied at Crozer Theological Seminary and earned a doctorate in theology from Boston University (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. VI (social gospel records)).
What this means: by the time King delivered his first sermon, the intellectual tools for his public career — theological training and a commitment to applied faith — were already in place.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
- In 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, in recognition of his nonviolent leadership (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)).
- The award landed after the Birmingham campaign and the March on Washington, two movements that had placed him at the center of American public life (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
The pattern: the Nobel committee was recognizing a movement, not just a man — and that movement’s work was already documented in federal files.
He was assassinated at age 39 in Memphis.
- On April 4, 1968, King was shot and killed at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- He had turned 39 on January 15, 1968, less than three months before his death (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
The catch: the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and the Nobel Prize were all behind him by 1968 — a reminder that his most visible work took barely 13 years.
The US celebrates a national holiday in his honor.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- The holiday was signed into law in November 1983, and the first national observance took place in 1986 (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
Is MLK a holiday?
When is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
- The holiday falls on the third Monday of January each year (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- Because the date floats, the observance can land anywhere from January 15 to January 21 — never on the fixed January 15 birthday unless that day happens to be a Monday (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
The catch: this floating date is the source of the annual confusion that the holiday and King’s actual birthday are the same day.
When was the holiday first observed?
- Congress passed the King holiday legislation in 1983, and President Reagan signed it in November of that year (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- The first national observance followed on the third Monday of January 1986 (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
What this means: the Monday observance is a design choice, not a date error — it guarantees a long weekend while still honoring a January 15 birthday.
Where was Martin Luther King, Jr. born?
His childhood home in Atlanta
- King was born at 501 Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
- He grew up in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, the center of Atlanta’s Black business and civic life at the time (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
The pattern: Sweet Auburn gave King a childhood surrounded by Black institutions and daily segregation — an unavoidable classroom for a future civil rights leader.
Early life influences
- King thought about becoming a lawyer or physician before choosing the ministry (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
- At Morehouse College, president Benjamin E. Mays became a decisive influence on his thinking (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
- King later described himself essentially as an advocate of the social gospel, tying faith to social justice (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. VI (social gospel records)).
Why this matters: the “social gospel” framing explains why King’s sermons never stayed in the pulpit — for him, faith and public action were inseparable.
How old was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he was assassinated?
The age when he was killed
- King was born January 15, 1929, and died April 4, 1968 (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive); National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- Because he had turned 39 on January 15, 1968, he was 39 years old at his death (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
The math: 1929 to 1968 is 39 calendar years, and 1968 had not yet reached his birthday when he was killed — so the “39 years old” answer is exact, not approximate.
Why the birthday matters for future calculations
- King’s birth date is fixed at January 15, 1929, so any “how old would he be” question is a straight subtraction problem (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
- Had he lived to January 15, 2025, King would have turned 96 (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
The trade-off: the same precision that makes the age-at-death answer clear also means the “would-be age” changes every January — a small detail that trips up casual searches.
When did Martin Luther King Jr. die?
The events of April 4, 1968
- King was shot and killed on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- At the time, he was 39 and in the middle of a broader campaign that included poverty and economic justice (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. VI (social gospel records)).
The pattern: his final public campaign was not only about race — it was also about poverty, housing, and labor, according to the later volumes of the King papers.
The immediate aftermath
- James Earl Ray was arrested in London, extradited to the United States, and pleaded guilty to the assassination in 1969, receiving a 99-year sentence (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- In 1979, a congressional investigation concluded Ray was the shooter but also suggested a possible conspiracy (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
When a social media post claims the assassination was a government plot, the federal record is the referee: the 1969 guilty plea and the 1979 congressional report are the two documents every alternative theory has to address.
The catch: the guilty plea closed the court case, but the 1979 conspiracy finding kept the public question alive — which is why the unresolved details still dominate online discussion decades later.
How to Verify Martin Luther King Jr. Facts
King’s life is unusually well documented, which means a careful reader can check almost any claim in a few clicks.
- Start with the Stanford King Papers Project, which publishes King’s letters, sermons, and speeches in numbered volumes (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
- Cross-check dates with the National Archives catalog, which indexes federal records on King and the civil rights movement (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- Separate the January 15, 1929 birthday from the floating Monday of the federal holiday (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- Read famous quotes in context — the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and the “I Have a Dream” speech are both in the King papers (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)).
- Treat viral family anecdotes, including the story that King helped pay Julia Roberts’ hospital bill, as unverified unless a primary source appears (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)).
For teachers, journalists, and social media fact-checkers, the reliable route is short: use the King Institute for King’s own words and the National Archives for the legal record, and most misinformation filters itself out.
The trade-off: verifying a quote takes about as long as forwarding it — the difference is whether the answer survives contact with the archive.
Key Dates in Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life
- — Born in Atlanta, Georgia (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
- — Became pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. VI (social gospel records)).
- — Led the Montgomery Bus Boycott (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- — Helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- — Helped organize the March on Washington and delivered “I Have a Dream” (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- — Received the Nobel Peace Prize (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)).
- — Assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- — President Reagan signed the law establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- — First national Martin Luther King Jr. Day observed (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
The pattern: from a parsonage in Atlanta to a federal holiday in less than six decades — and the documentary record at each step remains open to the public.
What’s Confirmed and What’s Still Unclear About MLK
Confirmed facts
- Born January 15, 1929, at 501 Auburn Avenue in Atlanta (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
- Led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- Delivered “I Have a Dream” at the 1963 March on Washington (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- Assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
What’s unclear
- Whether King had any warning of the shot in his final moments (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)).
- The full extent of any conspiracy behind the assassination (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
- The precise details of the Julia Roberts hospital-bill story (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)).
- The exact date of the King family’s name change after the Germany trip (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
The trade-off: the same public attention that keeps King’s memory alive also feeds unverified claims; a claim without a primary record should carry less weight than one that can be traced to the archives.
Martin Luther King Jr. in His Own Words
Three speeches and one family reflection map the public and private arc of his life.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
— Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963) · Stanford King Papers Project
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
— Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream” speech (1963) · National Archives (federal civil rights records)
“I’ve been to the mountaintop. I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you.”
— Martin Luther King Jr., “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech (April 3, 1968) · Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)
“Freedom is never really won; you earn it and win it in every generation.”
— Coretta Scott King, civil rights leader and founder of the King Center · Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)
The pattern: from a Birmingham jail cell to the night before his death, King used the same instrument — moral imagination — to push his audience toward a future they had not yet built.
For anyone who teaches, writes, or explains Martin Luther King Jr. to the next generation, the stakes are concrete: the full documentary record is open and searchable. Anchor every date, quote, and anecdote to the King Papers Project or the National Archives, and the biography stays accurate; skip that step, and the man behind the holiday disappears into the rumor mill.
kinginstitute.stanford.edu, kinginstitute.stanford.edu, kinginstitute.stanford.edu, kinginstitute.stanford.edu, en.wikipedia.org, kinginstitute.stanford.edu
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Martin Luther King Jr. famous?
King was a Baptist minister who led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and helped organize the 1963 March on Washington (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
What was Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth name?
He was born Michael King Jr. His father changed both of their names to Martin Luther King after a trip to Germany (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
When was Martin Luther King Jr. born?
January 15, 1929, at 501 Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
Where was Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated?
At the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968 (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
Who killed Martin Luther King Jr.?
James Earl Ray pleaded guilty in 1969 and was sentenced to 99 years. A 1979 congressional investigation concluded Ray was the shooter but left open the possibility of a conspiracy (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
When was Martin Luther King Jr. Day established?
The holiday was signed into law in November 1983 and first observed nationwide in January 1986 (National Archives (federal record keeper)).
How many children did Martin Luther King Jr. have?
Four children with Coretta Scott King: Yolanda, Martin Luther III, Dexter, and Bernice. The eldest, Yolanda, died in 2007 (Stanford King Institute (custodian of the King papers)).
How old would Martin Luther King Jr. be in 2025?
King was born January 15, 1929, and was 39 when he died. Had he lived to January 15, 2025, he would have turned 96 (Stanford King Papers Project Vol. I (primary archive)).
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Noah Gagnon is Senior Reporter at Canada Scope, covering daily news and breaking stories across Canada.