What was Martin Luther King Jr.'s childhood like? Discover how his early life and education shaped the Civil Rights leader we honor today.

Martin Luther King Jr., a reverend and civil-rights activist, was assassinated at 39. However, he inspired several movements and political changes.

A Life,' spoke on a Jan. 3 episode of NPR’s 'Book of the Day' podcast about Martin Luther King Jr., and noted that MLK didn’t have plans to become a civil rights leader when he joined the Montgomery Bus boycott in 1965.