Martin Luther King Jr. is known for his legacy of nonviolent protests and fighting for civil rights.
King followed the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi in taking the fight for racial equality and the just treatment of all citizens to the streets — to expose the ills that traditionally went unnoticed in the country.
Decades after King's assassination, this legacy of peaceful protest still remains the most powerful catalyst of change in American society.
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a law that declared the third Monday of January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The third Monday of January is the closest to his birthday, Jan. 15.
To celebrate the contribution of the civil rights leader to the social movement in the U.S., Tech Times shares seven facts about Martin Luther King Jr.:
MLK Legacy Started With A Bus Ride
In 1955, King was elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, the organization responsible for the year-long Montgomery bus boycott. The protest was inspired by the strong conviction of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white man.
Near Fatal Assassination By Izola Curry
Ten years before King was assassinated, he almost lost his life to a woman who attempted to kill him at a book signing event in Harlem. Izola Curry approached King and, using an envelope opener, struck him in the chest and nearly hit his aorta. According to reports, the surgeons told King that just a sneeze would have punctured his aorta and killed him.
MLK's Nobel Peace Prize
King received the Nobel Peace Prize when he was 35, the youngest to receive the coveted award.
In And Out Of Jail
MLK was jailed 29 times. Citations were not limited to his leadership of nonviolent protests but also involved petty crimes such as speeding. On Aug. 28, 1963, following a short stint in jail, King organized a demonstration near the iconic Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. where he delivered the famous "I Have A Dream" speech.
King Dies In The Hands Of A White Gunmen
In 1968, King was assassinated by ex-convict James Earl Ray with a sniper's bullet. Five years later, the suspect was caught and sentenced to imprisonment for 99 years after pleading guilty to the crime.
Inspired by Gandhi's Nonviolent Protests
Owing to his deep faith as a Baptist minister, King — who was initially called Michael — was later renamed Martin Luther after the German scholar who fought for fair treatment and reform within the Christian church.
But MLK was also heavily influenced by Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence. Aside from staging boycotts, he also led protesters to sit in on the streets with the goal of being arrested and congesting jails.
Not All Blacks Supported His Campaigns
Although King was fighting for equality among Americans no matter their color or creed, not all blacks supported him. Some believed he was endangering the lives of children.
During the Birmingham campaign in 1963, entire families attended the protest. The police turned up and used fire hoses and dogs to chase them away. This risked the safety of the children who were also participating in the activity.
Here his famous words resounded:
"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."
Given the change in leadership at the White House, the line is especially true today.
