Activist
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott the year he turned 26, and founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference the year he turned 28.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929 and lived to age 39. Anyone born before 1929 is older than Martin. Anyone over 39 is older than Martin ever was.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia and died on April 4, 1968 at the age of 39. Martin would be 97 years old today.
Martin Luther King Jr. would be 97 years old in 2026 and would have turned 97 on January 15, 2026. Martin Luther King Jr.'s age in every year ↓
Born
January 15, 1929
Died
April 4, 1968
World pop. at birth
~2B
Martin's age at death
39
Your age
20
Are you older than Martin Luther King Jr.?
No — Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929. You were born in 2006, making you 77 years younger. Martin lived to age 39. You are currently 20, so you are not yet older than Martin was when he died.
At your age (20), Martin hadn't yet reached his first major milestone: he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott the year he turned 26. That's 6 years from now for you.
Are you older than them?
oldest → youngest
Frank Sinatra
Lived to 82
Roald Dahl
Lived to 74
Kirk Douglas
Lived to 103
John F. Kennedy
Lived to 46
Indira Gandhi
Lived to 66
Richard Feynman
Lived to 69
Nelson Mandela
Lived to 95
Jackie Robinson
Lived to 53
Edmund Hillary
Lived to 88
Isaac Asimov
Lived to 72
Rosalind Franklin
Lived to 37
Ray Bradbury
Lived to 91
John Glenn
Lived to 95
Doris Day
Lived to 97
Judy Garland
Lived to 47
Kurt Vonnegut
Lived to 84
Henry Kissinger
Lived to 100
Rocky Marciano
Lived to 45
Maria Callas
Lived to 53
Marlon Brando
Lived to 80
George H.W. Bush
Lived to 94
James Baldwin
Lived to 63
Jimmy Carter
Lived to 100
Malcolm X
Lived to 39
Margaret Thatcher
Lived to 87
Queen Elizabeth II
Lived to 96
Marilyn Monroe
Lived to 36
Mel Brooks
Age 100
Chuck Berry
Lived to 90
Sidney Poitier
Lived to 94
Gabriel García Márquez
Lived to 87
Pope Benedict XVI
Lived to 95
Maya Angelou
Lived to 86
Che Guevara
Lived to 39
Andy Warhol
Lived to 58
Martin Luther King Jr.
Lived to 39
Audrey Hepburn
Lived to 63
Anne Frank
Lived to 15
Clint Eastwood
Age 96
Neil Armstrong
Lived to 82
Warren Buffett
Age 96
James Dean
Lived to 24
Mikhail Gorbachev
Lived to 91
Elizabeth Taylor
Lived to 79
James Brown
Lived to 73
Yuri Gagarin
Lived to 34
Sophia Loren
Age 92
Brigitte Bardot
Lived to 91
Elvis Presley
Lived to 42
Woody Allen
Age 90
Jim Brown
Lived to 87
Robert Redford
Lived to 89
Václav Havel
Lived to 75
Pope Francis
Lived to 88
Jack Nicholson
Age 89
Morgan Freeman
Age 89
Jane Fonda
Age 88
Anthony Hopkins
Age 88
Kofi Annan
Lived to 80
Neil Sedaka
Lived to 86
Marvin Gaye
Lived to 44
Tina Turner
Lived to 83
John Lennon
Lived to 40
Pelé
Lived to 82
Bruce Lee
Lived to 32
Hayao Miyazaki
Age 85
Bob Dylan
Age 85
Stephen Hawking
Lived to 76
Muhammad Ali
Lived to 74
Harrison Ford
Age 84
Joe Biden
Age 83
Martin's age vs family
Martin's Life Timeline
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up in a middle-class family and was influenced by his father's role as a pastor and his mother's strong sense of social justice. King excelled academically, eventually earning a doctorate in systematic theology from Boston University, which laid the foundation for his future leadership in the civil rights movement.
Read more
King became a prominent figure in the American civil rights movement in the 1950s. He was 26 years old when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, which was a pivotal event in the struggle against racial segregation. In 1963, at the age of 34, he delivered his iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech during the March on Washington, which galvanized public support for civil rights legislation. His efforts contributed significantly to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
King's legacy as a champion of nonviolent resistance and social justice continues to resonate today. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at the age of 35 for his work in combating racial inequality through nonviolent means. Tragically, he was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39, but his influence endures, inspiring generations to advocate for equality and justice worldwide.
Led the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Martin Luther King Jr. was 26 years old when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal event in the American civil rights movement. This boycott was a response to the arrest of Rosa Parks and marked a significant step towards challenging racial segregation in public transportation.
Martin Luther King Jr. turned 26 in 1955, the year he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Are you older than Martin was? Enter your birth year to compare.
Founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Martin Luther King Jr. was 28 years old when he founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). This organization played a crucial role in coordinating nonviolent protests and advocating for civil rights across the southern United States.
Martin Luther King Jr. turned 28 in 1957, the year he founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Are you older than Martin was? Enter your birth year to compare.
Delivered the I Have a Dream speech
Martin Luther King Jr. was 34 years old when he delivered the 'I Have a Dream' speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This speech is considered one of the defining moments of the civil rights movement and has had a lasting impact on American society.
Martin Luther King Jr. turned 34 in 1963, the year he delivered the I Have a Dream speech. Are you older than Martin was? Enter your birth year to compare.
Won the Nobel Peace Prize
Martin Luther King Jr. was 35 years old when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to combat racial inequality through nonviolent means. This recognition highlighted his commitment to peaceful protest and his influence on the global struggle for human rights.
Martin Luther King Jr. turned 35 in 1964, the year he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Are you older than Martin was? Enter your birth year to compare.
Assassinated in Memphis
Martin Luther King Jr. was 39 years old when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. His death was a tragic loss for the civil rights movement and sparked nationwide mourning and protests against racial injustice.
Martin Luther King Jr. turned 39 in 1968, the year he was assassinated in Memphis. Are you older than Martin was? Enter your birth year to compare.
Age by year
How old was Martin Luther King Jr. in each year?
- 2026
- Martin Luther King Jr. would be 97 years old in 2026 and would have turned 97 on January 15, 2026.
- 1955
- Martin Luther King Jr. was 25 at the start of 1955 and turned 26 on January 15, 1955. That year, he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
- 1957
- Martin Luther King Jr. was 27 at the start of 1957 and turned 28 on January 15, 1957. That year, he founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
- 1964
- Martin Luther King Jr. was 34 at the start of 1964 and turned 35 on January 15, 1964. That year, he won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s age in every year
Ages change on January 15: the first number is before that birthday, the second after it.
- 19290 years old
- 19300 → 1 years old
- 19311 → 2 years old
- 19322 → 3 years old
- 19333 → 4 years old
- 19344 → 5 years old
- 19355 → 6 years old
- 19366 → 7 years old
- 19377 → 8 years old
- 19388 → 9 years old
- 19399 → 10 years old
- 194010 → 11 years old
- 194111 → 12 years old
- 194212 → 13 years old
- 194313 → 14 years old
- 194414 → 15 years old
- 194515 → 16 years old
- 194616 → 17 years old
- 194717 → 18 years old
- 194818 → 19 years old
- 194919 → 20 years old
- 195020 → 21 years old
- 195121 → 22 years old
- 195222 → 23 years old
- 195323 → 24 years old
- 195424 → 25 years old
- 195525 → 26 years old
- 195626 → 27 years old
- 195727 → 28 years old
- 195828 → 29 years old
- 195929 → 30 years old
- 196030 → 31 years old
- 196131 → 32 years old
- 196232 → 33 years old
- 196333 → 34 years old
- 196434 → 35 years old
- 196535 → 36 years old
- 196636 → 37 years old
- 196737 → 38 years old
- 196838 → 39 years old
