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This Day in Black History: Jan. 15, 1929

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is born.

Baptist minister and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was born on this day. King is credited as the leader of the modern civil rights movement. He used non-violent protest to galvanize action to end segregation in the South in the 1950s. In 1963, he led more than 250,000 people on a peaceful march in Washington, D.C., and delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. At 35yearsold, he became the youngest man to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize. At 39, King’s life was cut short when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.    

   

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(Photo: Richard Sheinwald/Landov)

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