Trivia for Martin Luther King Day

Name Origin

Dr. King’s father traveled to Germany in 1929 and became inspired by Martin Luther, a Protestant Reformation leader. So much so that he changed both his first name and his five-year-old son’s name, from Michael to Martin, also adding Luther as a middle name.

King entered college when he was 15-years-old

King skipped two grades in high school and enrolled at Morehouse College at age 15. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University.

King survived an assassination attempt a decade before his death

On September 20, 1958, King was at a Blumstein’s department store in Harlem for a book signing when a young woman slipped past the line of people to approach him. The woman, named Izola Ware Curry, asked if he was really Martin Luther King Jr. and after he replied “yes,” she thrust a seven-inch letter opener into his chest. Curry claims she had been after him for five years believing he had ties to the Communist Party.

The stab wound narrowly missed King’s heart and he underwent emergency surgeries that lasted hours. King would later issue a statement  affirming his nonviolent beliefs and stated he had no malice feelings towards his attacker

King was youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner of his time.

In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his non-violent struggle for civil rights for the Afro-American population.” At the age of 35, he was, at the time, the youngest man to ever receive this honor. 

King was arrested 29 times

King was arrested 29 times. His charges (many of which were dropped) ranged from civil disobedience to traffic violations.