Martin Luther King, Jr., was a great man who worked for racial equality in the United States of America. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta,
Georgia. Both his father and grandfather were ministers. His mother was a schoolteacher who taught him how to read before
he went to school. Young Martin was an excellent student in school.
After graduating from college and getting married, Dr. King became a minister and moved to Alabama. During the 1950's,
Dr. King became active in the movement for civil rights and racial equality. He participated in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus
boycott and many other peaceful demonstrations that protested the unfair treatment of African-Americans. He won the Nobel
Peace Prize in 1964.
Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Commemorating the life of a tremendously important leader,
we celebrate Martin Luther King Day each year in January.
Biography and Timeline
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Martin Luther King, Jr., was a great man who worked for racial equality and civil rights in the United States of America.
He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Martin had a brother, Alfred, and a sister, Christine. Both his father and grandfather were ministers. His mother was a
schoolteacher who taught him how to read before he went to school.
Young Martin was an excellent student in school; he skipped grades in both elementary school and high school . He enjoyed
reading books, singing, riding a bicycle, and playing football and baseball. Martin entered Morehouse College in Atlanta,
Georgia, when he was only 15 years old.
Martin experienced racism early in life. He decided to do to something to make the world a better and fairer place.
After graduating from college and getting married, Dr. King became a minister and moved to Alabama.
During the 1950's, Dr. King became active in the movement for civil rights and racial equality. He participated in the
Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott and many other peaceful demonstrations that protested the unfair treatment of African-Americans.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Commemorating the life of a tremendously important leader, we celebrate Martin Luther King Day each year in January, the
month in which he was born. August 28, the anniversary of Dr. King's 1963 I Have a Dream speech, is called "Dream Day."
Timeline of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life:
1929 |
Born on January 15, in Atlanta, Georgia |
|
1948 |
Graduates from Morehouse College |
1953 |
Marries Coretta Scott |
1955 |
Earns a doctoral degree |
1956 |
Dr. King's house is bombed |
1958 |
Dr. King publishes his first book, Stride Toward Freedom |
1963 |
Dr. King gives his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. |
1964 |
Dr. King is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize |
1968 |
Dr. King is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee |
1986 |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is declared a national holiday in the U.S. |
Cloze Activity Directions: Fill
in the blanks below using the word bank. |
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NAME: |
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Word
Bank:
Atlanta
father
read
boycott
college |
Nobel
civil
rights
assassinated
January
ministers |
student
Alabama
Tennessee
born
African-Americans |
Martin Luther King, Jr.:
Martin Luther King, Jr., was a great man who worked for racial equality
and _____________________________ in the USA. He was ______________________ on January 15, 1929, in ___________________________,
Georgia. Both his ___________________________ and grandfather were ___________________________.
His mother was a schoolteacher who taught him
how to _______________________ before he went to school. Young Martin was an excellent
___________________________ in school.
After graduating from ___________________________
and getting married, Dr. King became a minister and moved to _________________________________. During the 1950's, Dr. King
became active in the movement for civil rights. He participated in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus ___________________________
and many other peaceful demonstrations that protested the unfair treatment of _________________________________. He won the
_________________________ Peace Prize in 1964.
Dr. King was _________________________________
on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, _________________________________. Commemorating the life of a tremendously important
leader, we celebrate Martin Luther King Day each year in _________________________________, the month of his birth.
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