4 April, 1968: Civil rights leader and Baptist minister Martin Luther King, Jr., is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. He was born Michael Luther King, Jr. (b.15 Jan 1929), but later had his name changed to Martin.

His grandfather began the family’s long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; his father served from then on, and from 1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor.

On October 14, 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through non-violence.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.

Martin Luther King Jr. addressing the March on Washington (1963)