Martin Luther King, Jr. - Threats/attacks against

Martin Luther King, Jr., made history, but he was also transformed by his deep family roots in the African-American Baptist church, his formative experiences in his hometown of Atlanta, his theological studies, his varied models of religious and political leadership, and his extensive network of contacts in the peace and social justice movements of his time. Although King was only 39 at the time of his death, his life was remarkable for the ways it reflected and inspired so many of the twentieth century’s major intellectual, cultural, and political developments.

According to King’s later account in Stride Toward Freedom, King receives a threatening phone call late in the evening, prompting a spiritual revelation that fills him with strength to carry on in spite of persecution.

At the county sheriff’s office, King, Abernathy, and Rev. H. H. Hubbard apply for a permit to allow a night watchman at King’s home to carry a gun. Sheriff Butler denies the permit. 

King holds a press conference at Harlem Hospital.

Doctors at Harlem Hospital reveal that King has developed pneumonia in his lower right lung.

During a book signing at Blumstein’s Department Store in Harlem, King is stabbed by Izola Ware Curry. He is rushed to Harlem Hospital where a team of doctors successfully removes a seven-inch letter opener from his chest.

Later, King is heckled by black nationalists as he speaks at a meeting outside Harlem’s Hotel Theresa to rally support for the Youth March for Integrated Schools.

Upon returning home King is greeted at the airport by a crowd of supporters.

Just minutes after hearing King’s testimony, a grand jury indicts Curry for attempted murder.

King is released from Harlem Hospital; he begins a three-week convalescence at the Brooklyn parsonage of Sandy Ray.