Martin Luther King Facts Quiz For You

Interesting Martin Luther King facts from birth, early life, famous protests, accomplishments, and assassination you didn’t know about. Play this quiz to find out.

Unknown Facts About Martin Luther King Jr.’s Early Life

Dr. Martin Luther King’s original name was Michael Luther King Jr. He was born on January 15, 1929, in 501 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta. Did you know that Luther’s father and grandfather were reverends? 

Luther’s father Daddy King changed their names to Martin Luther King Sr. and Martin Luther King Jr. after touring Germany for a Baptist Alliance Meeting. Adolf Hitler was one year into his reign and Daddy King was inspired by the original Martin Luther’s initiatives against racial discrimination.  

Martin was attending a parade without his parent’s permission while he should have been looking after his grandmother. Unfortunately, his grandma passed away that day due to a heart attack and he couldn’t bear the pain. Martin tried committing suicide by jumping from a two-story building.  

Luther Jr. experienced racial prejudice as early as six years when one of his white classmates refused to play with him. Though he was raised in a dominant black locality, Luther experienced true freedom only when he joined Morehouse College, Atlanta. Unlike his hometown in the South, people in the North were welcoming and warm to other races. Though Luther felt free, he was enraged about the thought that children in the South still experienced racial discrimination.Learn more history about Martin Luther King .

Accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr.

• Martin Luther King followed his grandfather and father by becoming a Baptist Minister in addition to his social activities.
• The Montgomery Bus Boycott was King’s first-ever protest. He was the elected leader of the Montgomery Improvisation Association that was formed after Rosa Parks’s arrest. She refused to give up her seat for a white man.
• King created The Southern Christian Leadership Conference following the Montgomery boycott’s success.
• King was jailed 29 times for his non-violent resistance against racial segregation. He won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for the same.
• He became one of the most important leaders in moving the Civil Rights Movement forward.
• King expanded into other concerns following the rise of black militants.

Martin Luther King Memorial Facts

• His memorial was built near the Lincoln Memorial hall
• He and his wife Corretta King rest there
• The site is the same place where he delivered his “I have a dream” speech
• The US created a holiday in his honor
• Poor People’s March became a huge success
• King’s statue stands facing Jefferson with rolled-up sleeves holding his speech paper
• There are 50 MLK statues between Washington and Amsterdam
• Marshall Prunnel built his memorial at the cost of $120 million in 2011.

The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. King visited Memphis to support the sanitation workers’ strike ahead of the Poor People’s March. James Earl Ray, a white sniper, shot him. Ray initially pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Later on, he appealed on the grounds of being coerced into accepting the crime. Much to everyone’s surprise, King’s family also supported Ray. However, the case remained unsolved even after ray’s death. 

Time to play a “Martin Luther King facts” quiz.