18 Mind-Blowing Facts About Martin Luther King Jr

Few names evoke such a passionate and loving response as that of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, the former Baptist minister, humanitarian, activist and leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Born on January 15, 1929, in the segregated Southern US state of Georgia, King grew up to become one of the most-recognisable figures of the entire 20th Century - and his fame rose even after he was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while standing on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee. Famous during his civil rights career for leading the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, for founding the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, for orchestrating the Albany Movement and for championing non-violent protest - not to mention his incredible oratory, which included such speeches as his 1963 "I Have A Dream" speech following the March on Washington - King emancipated African-Americans and other minority groups in the USA and gave them the belief they could achieve equality. However, it was not just King's actions and achievements that were fascinating - but also his own personality and characteristics. For this is a man who was out smoking when he was assassinated (despite the fact he hid the habit from the public), who survived a stabbing long before he was finally murdered, and who was so smart that he attended university at the age of just 15. So here are 18 mind-blowing facts about Dr Martin Luther King Jr, the leader of the Civil Rights Movement.