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JULIAN WASSER/TIMEPIX
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MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.(1929-1968)
Widely considered the father of the modern civil rights movement, King was ordained a Baptist minister in 1947. His involvement in the 1956 Montgomery bus boycott propelled him to national prominence as a speaker and activist — a role that blossomed further when he launched the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1963, Rev. King organized the March on Washington, a gathering of more than 200,000 people, and in 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. King's commitment to non-violent protest did not sit well with others in the civil rights movement, who argued for more aggressive tactics. King was assassinated in 1968 on a motel balcony in Memphis.
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