Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist, and 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, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. King has | become a national icon in the history of modern American liberalism.
A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights | activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern | Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. | King's efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King | delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he | expanded American values to include the vision | of a color blind society, and established | his reputation as one of the greatest | orators in American history.
In 1964, King | became the youngest person to | receive the Nobel Peace Prize | | racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil | disobedience and other nonviolent means. By the time of | | had refocused his efforts on ending | poverty and stopping the Vietnam | War.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in | Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the | Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional | Gold Medal in 2004; Martin | Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. |  |