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Martin Luther King: The 45-year anniversary of his assassination

  • Martin Luther King waves to the crowd after he delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech in Washington, 1963, where he spoke of a near future where America would be equal (Everett Collection / Rex Features)
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    Martin Luther King waves to the crowd after he delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech in Washington, 1963 (Everett Collection / Rex Features)

    Martin Luther King waves to the crowd after he delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech in Washington, 1963, where he spoke of a near future where America would be equal (Everett Collection / Rex Features)
  • Martin Luther King and others take a seat in the front of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, on Dec. 21, 1956, at the end of a year-long African American boycott. Also shown are Ralph D. Abernathy and Glenn Smiley. It was this boycott against racial segregation on buses (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
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    Martin Luther King and others take a seat in the front of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama, on Dec. 21, 1956, at the end of after a yearlong African American boycott. Also shown are Ralph D. Abernathy and Glenn Smiley. It was this boycott against racial segregation on buses that rose Dr King to prominence (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)

    Martin Luther King and others take a seat in the front of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, on Dec. 21, 1956, at the end of a year-long African American boycott. Also shown are Ralph D. Abernathy and Glenn Smiley. It was this boycott against racial segregation on buses (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
  • Martin Luther King with Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and Roy Wilkins, 1957. The activist was inspired by Gandhi's non-violent activism in leading India to independence and freedom (Everett Collection / Rex Features)
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    Martin Luther King with Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and Roy Wilkins, 1957. The activist was inspired by Gandhi's non-violent activism in leading India to independence and freedom (Everett Collection / Rex Features)

    Martin Luther King with Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and Roy Wilkins, 1957. The activist was inspired by Gandhi's non-violent activism in leading India to independence and freedom (Everett Collection / Rex Features)
  • Martin Luther King, removes a cross burned on the lawn of his home by the white supremacist group Klu Klux Klan who were a violent resistance to the civil rights movement. His son Martin stands next to him in Atlanta, Georgia, 1960.�Ÿ The pastor was used to death threats due to his prominence in the civil rights movement (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
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    Martin Luther King, removes a cross burned on the lawn of his home by the white supremacist group Klu Klux Klan who were a violent resistance to the civil rights movement. His son Martin stands next to him in Atlanta, Georgia, 1960.Ÿ The pastor was used to death threats due to his prominence in the civil rights movement (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)

    Martin Luther King, removes a cross burned on the lawn of his home by the white supremacist group Klu Klux Klan who were a violent resistance to the civil rights movement. His son Martin stands next to him in Atlanta, Georgia, 1960.Ÿ The pastor was used to death threats due to his prominence in the civil rights movement (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
  • Dr King delivers his "I have a dream" speech, after a mass march to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The speech was the defining moment of the Civil Rights Movement (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
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    Dr King delivers his

    Dr King delivers his "I have a dream" speech, after a mass march to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The speech was the defining moment of the Civil Rights Movement (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
  • A police officer seizes Martin Luther King by his trousers during an anti-segregation march in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963. The peaceful activist was arrested 29 times in his life �(Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
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    A police officer seizes Martin Luther King by his trousers during an anti-segregation march in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963. The peaceful activist was arrested 29 times in his life (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)

    A police officer seizes Martin Luther King by his trousers during an anti-segregation march in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963. The peaceful activist was arrested 29 times in his life (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
  • Dr King hugs his wife Coretta Scott King while receiving his Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 (Sipa Press / Rex Features)
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    Dr King hugs his wife Coretta Scott King while receiving his Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 (Sipa Press / Rex Features)

    Dr King hugs his wife Coretta Scott King while receiving his Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 (Sipa Press / Rex Features)
  • �Martin Luther King addresses demonstrators who marched in response to the attacks of peaceful protersters by state and local police armed with clubs and tear gas. Images of bloodied and injured marchers were televised around the world on March 7, 1965. The day came to be known as 'Bloody Sunday'. Dr King and others organised two peaceful marches in response to the violence. The march led to the passing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that outlawed discriminatory voting practices against African Americans (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
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    Martin Luther King addresses demonstrators who marched in response to the attacks of peaceful marchers by state and local police armed with clubs and tear gas. Images of bloodied and injured marchers were televised around the world on March 7 1965. The day came to be known as 'Bloody Sunday'. Dr King and others organised two peaceful marches in response to the violence. The march led to the passing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that outlawed discriminatory voting practises against African Americans (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)

    Martin Luther King addresses demonstrators who marched in response to the attacks of peaceful protersters by state and local police armed with clubs and tear gas. Images of bloodied and injured marchers were televised around the world on March 7, 1965. The day came to be known as 'Bloody Sunday'. Dr King and others organised two peaceful marches in response to the violence. The march led to the passing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that outlawed discriminatory voting practices against African Americans (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
  • Martin Luther King is pictured with Malcolm X. The pair were leaders of opposing schools of thought, the former believed peaceful action was the best way to achieve equality where Malcolm X favoured "self defense" and black supremacy (CSU Archives / Everett Collection / Rex Features)
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    Martin Luther King is pictured with Malcolm X. The pair were leaders of opposing schools of thought, the former believed peaceful action was the best way to achieve equality where Malcolm X favoured "self defense" and black supremacy(CSU Archives / Everett Collection / Rex Features)

    Martin Luther King is pictured with Malcolm X. The pair were leaders of opposing schools of thought, the former believed peaceful action was the best way to achieve equality where Malcolm X favoured "self defense" and black supremacy (CSU Archives / Everett Collection / Rex Features)
  • Martin Luther King Jr. stands with other civil rights leaders on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968 - a day before he was assassinated at the very same spot. From left are Hosea Williams, Jesse Jackson, King, and Ralph Abernathy (AP Photo)
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    Martin Luther King Jr. stands with other civil rights leaders on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968, a day before he was assassinated at the same place. From left are Hosea Williams, Jesse Jackson, King, and Ralph Abernathy (AP Photo)

    Martin Luther King Jr. stands with other civil rights leaders on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968 - a day before he was assassinated at the very same spot. From left are Hosea Williams, Jesse Jackson, King, and Ralph Abernathy (AP Photo)
Martin Luther King waves to the crowd after he delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech in Washington, 1963, where he spoke of a near future where America would be equal (Everett Collection / Rex Features)
Martin Luther King and others take a seat in the front of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, on Dec. 21, 1956, at the end of a year-long African American boycott. Also shown are Ralph D. Abernathy and Glenn Smiley. It was this boycott against racial segregation on buses (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
Martin Luther King with Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and Roy Wilkins, 1957. The activist was inspired by Gandhi's non-violent activism in leading India to independence and freedom (Everett Collection / Rex Features)
Martin Luther King, removes a cross burned on the lawn of his home by the white supremacist group Klu Klux Klan who were a violent resistance to the civil rights movement. His son Martin stands next to him in Atlanta, Georgia, 1960.�Ÿ The pastor was used to death threats due to his prominence in the civil rights movement (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
Dr King delivers his "I have a dream" speech, after a mass march to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The speech was the defining moment of the Civil Rights Movement (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
A police officer seizes Martin Luther King by his trousers during an anti-segregation march in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963. The peaceful activist was arrested 29 times in his life �(Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
Dr King hugs his wife Coretta Scott King while receiving his Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 (Sipa Press / Rex Features)
�Martin Luther King addresses demonstrators who marched in response to the attacks of peaceful protersters by state and local police armed with clubs and tear gas. Images of bloodied and injured marchers were televised around the world on March 7, 1965. The day came to be known as 'Bloody Sunday'. Dr King and others organised two peaceful marches in response to the violence. The march led to the passing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that outlawed discriminatory voting practices against African Americans (Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features)
Martin Luther King is pictured with Malcolm X. The pair were leaders of opposing schools of thought, the former believed peaceful action was the best way to achieve equality where Malcolm X favoured "self defense" and black supremacy (CSU Archives / Everett Collection / Rex Features)
Martin Luther King Jr. stands with other civil rights leaders on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968 - a day before he was assassinated at the very same spot. From left are Hosea Williams, Jesse Jackson, King, and Ralph Abernathy (AP Photo)

American civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated 45 years ago on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee. The pastor and father of four was an prominent activist against racism in America. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is considered one of the most influential and courageous men of the 20th century.