5 Little Known Facts About Martin Luther King Jr.

Today we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day. Here are some things that most people do not know about him.

1. Martin Luther King Jr. was named Michael when he was born. His name was changed to Martin later. When Martin was five years old, his father: King Sr. changed his own name to Martin Luther King. When he did, he changed his son’s name at the same time. He was inspired by the protestant reformer Martin Luther while visiting Germany. 

2. King entered college at the age of 15. King was a brilliant and gifted student.

3. King received his doctorate in systematic theology. King received a Ph.D from Boston University in 1955. 

4. King was imprisoned 29 times. He was arrested for acts of civil disobedience and on trumped-up charges. He was jailed in Montgomery, Alabama in 1956 for driving 30 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone. 

5. King narrowly escaped an assassination attempt a decade before his death. At a book signing ceremony in Harlem in 1958, Izola Ware Curry stabbed King in the chest with a seven-inch letter opener. Afterwards, he issued a statement saying he felt no ill will toward his mentally ill attacker.

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