10 Interesting Facts About Civil Rights Icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy MLK Day!

As we commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we wish to show you 10 interesting facts about the Civil Rights icon.

1. His Birth Name Is Michael King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born upon January 15, 1929, as Michael King, Jr. after his dad Michael King, Sr.

But after a journey to Germany in the late 1930s, his dad altered his name to Martin in honor of the theologian who started the Protestant Reformation.

Thus, altering Michael, Jr.’s name to Martin. Despite the name alters his household still called him “ML” or “Mike.”

2. MLK Allegedly Tried To Commit Suicide

Martin matured in this two-story Queen Anne-design home on Auburn Ave. In 1941, Martin fell out of the second-story window after discovering his grandma had actually died from a cardiac arrest while he was at a parade without his moms and dad’s approval.

It was typically hypothesized that the regret and sorrow caused 12-year-old Martin’s suicide effort. His dad later on exposed, “He wept on and off for numerous days later, and was not able to sleep during the night.”

3. Dr. King Was A Trekkie

Nichelle Nichols, who depicted the renowned Uhura in Star Trek exposed Martin motivated her to remain on the program when she was thinking of giving up to go back to musical comedy.

“He informed me that Star Trek was among the only programs that he and his better half Coretta would enable their kids to enjoy. And I thanked him and I informed him I was leaving the program. The smile came off his face. And he stated, put on’t you comprehend for the very first time, we’re viewed as we need to be seen. You put on’t have a black function. You have an equivalent function.” Nichols remained.

4. He’s A Grammy Winner

King is a Grammy winner. He posthumously won in 1971 for Best Spoken Word Album for “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam.”

The speech from which the album was made was provided April 30, 1967, at Riverside Church in New York City.

5. MLK’s Mother Was Murdered

Six years after his death, King’s mom, Alberta Williams King, was likewise killed.

On June 30, 1974, she was within Ebenezer Baptist Church playing the organ when she was shot and eliminated by 23-year-old Marcus Wayne Chenault.

6. Time Magazine ‘Man of the Year’

In 1963, King ended up being the very first African-American to be called Time publication’s Man of the Year. Ethiopian leader Haile Selassie was called in 1936.

The just other African-American to get the honor was Barack Obama, who was called two times.

7. Funeral Home Honeymoon

King wed Coretta Scott on June 18, 1953. Martin Luther King Sr. carried out the event in the lawn of the Scott house in Perry County, Alabama.

After the reception, the brand-new couple invested their honeymoon night in a black funeral house in Marion, Al., due to the fact that no white hotel would register them.

They would have 4 kids — Yolanda, Martin Luther King III, Dexter and Bernice.

8. Martin & Malcolm Only Met Once

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X just satisfied when on March 26, 1964. King was leaving a conference at the U.S. Senate, when Malcolm X got out of the crowd to obstruct his course. Malcolm — who had actually called King a chump, to name a few things — extended his hand.

“Well, Malcolm, excellent to see you,” King stated, holding Malcolm X’s hand. “Good to see you,” Malcolm X responded. Both guys smiled as professional photographers caught the minute. The encounter lasted less than a minute and the 2 never ever saw each other once again.

9. MLK Was A Pool Shark

Although he was a preacher and had 3 degrees, King was likewise rather of a swimming pool shark.

In an effort to reach as lots of people as possible, King would in some cases go to swimming pool halls, to meet those he couldn’t discover in church, and whip them.

10. Martin’s Last Words

On April 4, at about 6 p.m., while he was preparing yourself to go to supper, King based on the terrace of the Lorraine Motel and informed artist Ben Branch to play his preferred tune, “Take My Hand, Precious Lord in the conference tonight. Play it genuine quite.”

A King biographer stated those were his last words. At 6:01 p.m., a bullet fired from a flop home throughout the street, cut King down.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 🖤

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