Martin Luther King Jr.

Photo: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial – Located in downtown Washington, DC, the memorial honors Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and the struggle for freedom, equality, and justice. Photo credit: National Park Service via Flickr. Public domain. Article by HISTORY.com Editors. HISTORY.com – updated: January 13, 2026.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a social activist and Baptist minister who played a key role in the American Civil Rights Movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. King sought equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest. He was the driving force behind watershed events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington, which helped bring about such landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is remembered each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a U.S. federal holiday since 1986. […]

Click here to view original web page at www.history.com

Video: MLK’s Final Cause | History Honors 250 – History

Related articles:

Why Bernice King sees MLK Day as a ‘saving grace’ in today’s political climate – AP News

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026: Date, history, significance and how it became a federal holiday – Mint

Is Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday? Meaning, origins, more – USA Today