Civil rights activist Martin Luthor King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

A 40-year-old convicted robber named James Earl Ray shot King dead in Memphis.

King was famous for his activism and empowering speeches. He led many non-violent protests, including the bus boycott after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus.

After his death, King remains an icon of hope for racial unity. Peniel E. Joseph wrote for the Washington Post that King's death was a blow to America recognizing and dealing with its inherent power structures, which had oppressed African Americans and people in poverty.