04/04/2024

Today in History: April 4, 1968

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis

On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., 39, was shot and killed while standing on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

His slaying was followed by a wave of rioting (Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Chicago were among cities particularly hard hit).

James Earl Ray later pleaded guilty to assassinating King, then spent the rest of his life claiming he had been the victim of a setup.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Associated Press.