On April 4th, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King was fatally shot while standing on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee. After leading a successful movement on the basis of social rights he had transitioned to economic equality. While making slower progress, his death halted any progress as the nation mourned and lashed out in sadness. Over 100 cities rioted after hearing the news of MLK’s death and with it came the death of the nonviolent movement. On the day of the shooting, Robert Kennedy gave a speech in Indianapolis concerning his death to try and prevent the same scale of rioting found in other cities across the country. 

Even so, one hundred thousand mourners marched in his funeral procession and three hundred thousand attended the funeral itself. He was a beloved leader of the civil rights movement who is still revered today as a writer, orator, and activist. His prolific role in history can be hinted at by a national holiday being made in his honor, while other national holidays like Presidents Day lump together presidents.