Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was an American Baptist minister and civil rights activist known for his role in the American civil rights movement. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up in a time when segregation was legal in the United States.

King became a Baptist minister in the 1950s and was a leader of the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, which sparked the civil rights movement. He advocated for nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience, believing that this was the most effective way to bring about change.

King was instrumental in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his work in the civil rights movement.

On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. His legacy lives on as a prominent figure in American history and a symbol of the struggle for civil rights and social justice.