Compiled by Jan White

1. The name given to the great civil rights leader at birth was Michael King, Jr. During a trip to Germany, Michael King Sr. was so moved by the history of Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation, that he returned home and changed his name as well as that of his 5-year-old son. 

2. In 1957, Martin Luther King, Jr. officially revised his own birth certificate by simply crossing out the name “Michael” and writing “Martin Luther, Jr.” next to it in black ink. 

3. At age 13, King became the youngest assistant manager for The Atlanta Journal delivery station.

4. Because of his academic achievements, Martin Luther King, Jr. was able to skip the 9th grade. And rather than finish his twelfth year of formal education, he enrolled at Morehouse College at age 15, where he completed a Bachelor’s degree in sociology.

5. Dr. King had at least three degrees. Along with his sociology degree from Morehouse College, King also had a degree in divinity from The Crozer Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Boston University. He was also awarded many honorary degrees from prominent universities such as Howard University, Wesleyan, and Yale.

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6. In 1963, Time magazine named Dr. King as its Man of the Year. 

7. At age 35, Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, making him the youngest male to receive the honor.

8. Dr. King earned a posthumous Grammy Award in 1970 for “Best Spoken Word” for his controversial speech “Why I Opposed the War in Vietnam.”

9. The historic “I have a dream” portion of Martin Luther King’s speech was unplanned. Asked to speak at the March on Washington in 1963, Dr. King began addressing the crowd from prepared notes until his friend, gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, spoke to him from behind the podium. “Tell them about the dream, Martin.” Film footage of the event shows Dr. King pause, then begin to improvise what has become one of the most famous speeches in history.

10. Martin Luther King Jr.’s last public speech is considered a foreshadowing of his death. In it, King said, “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now; I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.” Dr. King was assassinated the next day.