Random Surprising And Little-Known Facts About Martin Luther King Jr. (15 items)

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  (#11) He Didn't Leave His Wife Or Children With Any Money After His Death

  King did not have a will when he died and did not set aside any money to send his four children to college. Even though he wrote four books, received over $50,000 for winning the Noble Peace Prize, and earned money through public speaking events and his ministry, he didn't put aside any funds for his wife or kids. Instead, King donated any money he earned to the Civil Rights movement - as a minister, he believed it was necessary to take a vow of relative poverty.
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  (#9) He Was Arrested 29 Times

  During his many years of social advocacy, King was arrested on numerous occasions. In fact, he was sent to jail a total of 29 times for various acts of civil disobedience as well as other fabricated charges. One situation, which occurred in 1956, resulted in his being sent to jail in Montgomery, AL, for driving only five miles over the speed limit.
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  (#1) He Tried To Commit Suicide At Age 12

  When King was 12 years old, he decided to go to a parade instead of staying home and watching his little brother A.D., who was six at the time. In his absence, A.D. slid down a banister and ran into their grandmother, knocking her unconscious. She then had a heart attack, which killed her.

  King blamed himself for her death, even though his grandmother's heart attack had nothing to do with her having been knocked unconscious. Embroiled with grief, King tried to kill himself by jumping out of the second-story window of his family's home. His father later recalled that King was troubled for many days following the passing of his grandmother and had difficulty sleeping.
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  (#5) He Was Smoking A Cigarette When He Was Shot

  There are very few photos of King smoking, even though he was known to smoke regularly. On the day he was assassinated, he was on the balcony of his hotel smoking a cigarette.

  He actively hid the habit for two major reasons: First, there was a social stigma attached to the habit, particularly since he was a minister. Second, he didn't want his children to see him smoke and take up the habit themselves. After he died, Rev. Kyles allegedly removed the pack of cigarettes from his pocket to conceal the fact that King was smoking when he was killed.
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  (#13) He Got A "C" In Public Speaking

  While attending his first year of seminary school, King surprisingly got a "C" in public speaking.  However, it wasn't because he was bad at talking in front of people, In fact, his father said that King was one of the best public speakers he'd ever encountered. By the time he graduated from seminary, King had managed to raise the grade to an "A." He also was the student body president and valedictorian.
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  (#15) He Won A Grammy Award

  No, King did not possess a secret singing ability (that we know of). However, following his death, King won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 1971. He received the honor for his album Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam. On it, he said:

  "Now, let me make it clear in the beginning, that I see this war as an unjust, evil, and futile war. I preach to you today on the war in Vietnam because my conscience leaves me with no other choice. The time has come for America to hear the truth about this tragic war."

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