Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15th, 1929 – April 4th, 1968)
Martin Luther King Jr. was an American activist, and a prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world. He followed Mahatma Gandhi in the teachings of nonviolence.
King did many things to help the African-American people. In 1955 he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In 1957 he helped to found the Southern Christian Leadership. All of his hard work throughout his life led to the famous March on Washington in 1963, where King presented his world famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Due to that particular day, and all of the little events that lead up to it, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Unfortunately, on April 4th, 1968, King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Later on , he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. Also, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986.
Monday, January 16th, 2012, is a day that we all remember Martin Luther King Jr. as the extraordinary man he was, and how much hard work and dedication he put in towards all people being treated equally. He was and will always be an inspiration to us all.