Early Life and Family
Martin Luther King Jr. was born Michael King on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the middle child of Michael King Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolteacher. He grew up in a close-knit household and attended segregated public schools before entering Morehouse College at age 15.
Marriage and Children
King married Coretta Scott on June 18, 1953, in Marion, Alabama. The couple had four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, and Bernice King. Coretta King was a singer and activist who continued civil rights work after her husband's death.
Education and Personal Values
King earned a sociology degree from Morehouse, a divinity degree from Crozer Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University. He was ordained as a Baptist minister and drew on Christian teachings and nonviolent philosophy throughout his public career.
Later Life and Legacy
King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was a central figure in the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Act era. His personal papers and speeches are preserved by institutions such as the King Center, and his life is documented by the Britannica biography.
