King, Jr. Was Greatly Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s Philosophy. After the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. said to his wife, “This is what is going to happen to me also. Martin Luther King Jr facts reveal that King was first introduced to Gandhi’s teachings through his advisors Bayard Rustin and Harris Wofford, who were both keen students of Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his 17-minute “I Have a Dream” speech—an oratorical masterpiece that changed King's life, his movement, and the nation at large. … If you know more Interesting Martin Luther King Jr Facts and want to share with us then be sure to let us know, we’d update our list. At the Atlanta premier of the movie Gone with the Wind, Martin sang with his church choir. Learn about the world-famous civil rights campaigner in our Martin Luther King facts. Martin Luther King Jr. was a well known social activist and Baptist minister who led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the mid-1950’s until up to his assassination in 1968. King had reportedly asked the musician to play his favorite song, the hymn, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," at an event they … Learning Martin Luther King Jr. facts gives us an insight into the history of the United States and the history of the Civil Rights Movement. 10 Facts You Should Know About Martin Luther King Jr Share this article: The awe-inspiring nature of civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s life is well-established in our collective consciousness – so much so that finer details from his story are forgotten all too often. Interesting Facts about Martin Luther King, Jr. King was the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. If you know more Interesting Martin Luther King Jr Facts and want to share with us then be sure to let us know, we’d update our list. His leadership was fundamental to that movement’s success in ending the legal segregation of African Americans in the South and other parts of the United States. 1.King’s birth name was Michael, not Martin. He was a minister and social activist whose leadership during the American civil rights movement changed the course of history. In the mid-1950s, Dr. King led the movement to end segregation and counter prejudice in the United States through the means of peaceful protest. It was Martin who dreamt every individual of US must be judged by his qualities not by caste or creed. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy has experienced a shift in American culture. After the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. said to his wife, “This is what is going to happen to me also. King's rise to prominence in the fight for civil rights began in 1955 when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott which was sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks for not giving her seat on a bus up to a white passenger.