Movement1968
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where he had traveled to support striking sanitation workers. His death prompted an outpouring of grief and unrest in cities across the nation.
Why It Matters
King's assassination was a defining tragedy of the civil rights era, galvanizing support for the Fair Housing Act signed just days later and leaving a lasting call for nonviolent pursuit of justice.