American civil rights activist Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 while staying at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
Visiting Memphis
Reverend King—who lived in Montgomery, Alabama at the time but frequently visited Memphis—had returned to Memphis on April 3 to support a local sanitation workers' strike. The night before he was assassinated, he gave a speech which, among discussing numerous issues, appeared to foreshadow his imminent death.
The assassination
As he was leaving his room the next day to visit a local reverend, King was shot on the balcony outside of his motel room. A single bullet struck King in the face, but did not immediately kill him. He was pronounced dead at St. Joseph's Hospital later that evening.
The aftermath
News of King's assassination sparked violent riots in cities across the country, many of which were only quelled after units from the National Guard were deployed. President Lyndon Johnson declared a national day of mourning on April 9, the same day as King's funeral. Escaped convict James Earl Ray was convicted after being apprehended in a two-month manhunt, and served a life sentence after pleading guilty to the assassination.
Conspiracy theories
Strange circumstances surrounding the assassination are a popular source for a number of conspiracy theories which indict different groups for the assassination, from branches of the United States government and armed forces to organized crime syndicates.
MLK Assassination News
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Newspaper Archive: Dr. King Timeline
- The New York Times: Martin Luther King is Slain in Memphis (Archived) (April 5, 1968)
- CNN.com: Nation's capital still recovering from 1968 riots (April 4, 1998)
- "It's been three decades since Martin Luther King's assassination sparked riots in Washington, D.C. ... While some speak of a city renaissance, others are unsure whether the district will ever fully recover."
- CNN.com: Reporter recalls 'eerie' but calm night with King's widow, children (April 2, 2008)
- "The phone rang and I heard Coretta say, 'Mr. President,' and knew that Lyndon Johnson was calling from the White House to offer his condolences. I left the room briefly for her conversation with the president. Coretta did not speak of the call, nor did I ask about it."
- Topix.net: MLK Assassination
- Google News: MLK Assassination
References
Fast Facts
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Shot at 6
01PM on April 4, 1968
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Pronounced dead at 7
05PM that same evening
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Fact:
39 years old at time of death
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Fact:
Was staying in Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel
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Fact:
The motel is now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum
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Fact:
King had survived previous assassination attempts including a bombing at his home in Montgomery, Alabama
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Fact:
Had given his I've Been to the Mountaintop speech the night before at the Mason Temple
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Fact:
Last words were a request for the hymn Take My Hand, Precious Lord at a gathering later that evening
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Fact:
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Fact:
The sanitation strike was settled in favor of the workers shortly after King's death
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Fact:
Jesse Jackson was a close friend of King's, and was with him when he was assassinated
