Each year on or about his birthday on January 15, the United States celebrates the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., one of its greatest and most influential citizens.

Each January, Americans remember and reflect on the life of a man who stood up for his rights and the rights of millions of American citizens. Martin Luther King, Jr., ultimately lost his life fighting for the rights of black Americans, and his courage is celebrated every year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and a social rights activist who helped shape the American Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. King seemed destined for greatness at an early age and studied medicine and law at Morehouse College. However, he chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and make a career out of his beliefs and religion. According to History.com, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his predominantly white senior class.

Spurred on by social unrest and race discrimination, King’s theology began to intertwine with his advocacy for the African American population. His style was peaceful protest, including boycotts, marches and empowered speeches. His ideals reflected his Christianity, while his operational techniques stemmed from Gandhi. King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action. In addition, King authored five books and numerous articles.

King is perhaps best known for his historic March on Washington, which drew more than 200,000 people to the Lincoln Memorial. The location was symbolic, as former president Abraham Lincoln also was an advocate for blacks living in the United States. It was here that King made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, emphasizing his belief that someday all men could be brothers.