Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, and became a Baptist minister and activist. King played a key role in organizing nonviolent protests to promote civil rights, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his efforts to combat racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. Tragically, he was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, but his legacy continues to inspire movements for equality and justice around the world.
