A brief Biography of Martin Luther King

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A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF MARTHIN LUTHER KING JR.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born as Michael Luther King Jr. on January 15, 1929 at his home in Atlanta, Georgia to proud parents Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King, King was originally named 'Michael" after his father, who changed King's name to Martin when he was 6. He was the second of three children

At the young age of 15, King graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and was admitted to Morehouse College.

King decided to follow his father and become a minister and was Ordained to the Baptist ministry, February 25, 1948, at the age 19. While attending the Crozer Theological seminary in Pennsylvania he became familiar with the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

In 1951 King entered Boston University for graduate studies where he met his wife-to-be Coretta Scott. King and Scott were married in 1953 and lived in Alabama.

On June 5, 1955, King received a Doctorate of Philosophy in Systematic Theology from Boson University. He joined a bus boycott and on December 5 (1955) was elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, making him the official spokesman for the boycott.

On November 13, 1956 the Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was illegal, ensuring victory for the boycott.

In 1957, King formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to fight segregation and achieve civil rights. On May 17, King spoke to a crowd of 15,000 in Washington, D.C.

In 1958, King's first book, Stride toward Freedom, was published. Whilst speaking on a tour, King was nearly killed when stabbed by a lady in Harlem. He met with President Eisenhower and other important Americans about the problems affecting black Americans.

In 1959, King visited India to study Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence and resigned from pastoring at the Dexter Avenue...