When was Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated?
Quick Answer
Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed on 4 April 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 39 years old.
The Full Story
King had travelled to Memphis to support striking Black sanitation workers demanding safer conditions and fair pay. On the night of 3 April he gave his final speech, known as I’ve Been to the Mountaintop, telling the crowd he might not get there with them. The next evening, as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, he was shot by James Earl Ray, who was later sentenced to 99 years in prison. News of his death sparked unrest in more than 100 American cities. The US Congress passed the Fair Housing Act within a week, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first observed as a federal holiday in 1986.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The Last 24 Hours of Martin Luther King Jr."