Martin Luther King Jr. — Timeline
Key moments in the life of Martin Luther King Jr..
1929
Born Michael King Jr. on January 15 in Atlanta, Georgia
1948
Ordained as a Baptist minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta
1953
Married Coretta Scott on June 18
1955
Led the Montgomery Bus Boycott (December 1955 - December 1956) following Rosa Parks's arrest
1957
Founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and became its president
1963
Delivered 'I Have a Dream' speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28
1964
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35, the youngest male recipient at that time
1965
Led the Selma to Montgomery marches in Alabama to secure voting rights
1968
Assassinated on April 4 in Memphis, Tennessee
1983
Martin Luther King Jr. Day established as a federal holiday in the United States