On this day in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr., prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King was 39. He was as shot while standing on the balcony of a motel.

Nonviolent Resistance. During the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. captured the nation's attention with his philosophy of nonviolent resistance; he believed it was the only solution for creating a just society.

Miles to Go Before I Sleep. He traveled more than 6 million miles, speaking publicly about social and racial issues more than 2,500 times. King was arrested more than 20 times in his dedicated crusade for civil rights and equality.

Meeting of the Minds.

• In 1957, King summoned together a number of Black leaders and laid the basis for the organization now known as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
  
  
• In 1963, he was the prime mover in the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1963.
  
  
• In 1964, he was the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
  
  
• From 1957-1968, King was the dominant force in the civil rights movement during its decade of greatest achievement.