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assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Facts & Related Content
News •
Trump Vows to Declassify Files on Assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK
• Jan. 23, 2025, 11:05 AM ET (New York Times)
Facts
Date | April 4, 1968 |
---|---|
Location | Memphis • Tennessee • United States • Lorraine Motel |
Context | American civil rights movement • Southern Christian Leadership Conference • Vietnam War • Poor People’s Campaign • Memphis sanitation workers’ strike |
Did You Know?
- Not only have all levels of government been accused of involvement in Kings death, but so has the Mafia.
- Hoovers FBI surveilled and harassed King and his friends, leading some (including Kings family) to believe that the FBI was also responsible for Kings death.
- The Lorraine Motel, the site of Kings death, was later transformed into the National Civil Rights Museum.
Photos and Videos
Key People

Martin Luther King, Jr.
American religious leader and civil-rights activist

James Earl Ray
American assassin
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