Martin Luther King Jr. was such a great man, we can be certain that he won prizes in his life, but exactly what prize did he win in 1964?
In December of 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. Throughout his life, he greatly supported peaceful movements and he sought to establish peace amongst all types of people. Therefore, clearly, this award seems as though it was truly meant for him.
Another great achievement occurred that year in the field of civil rights. Not even six months before the ceremony where King received the Nobel Prize for Peace, the Civil Rights Act had been signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was very happy and honored to have received this award, and gave a powerful and gracious acceptance speech. MLK was, amongst other great accomplishments, a wonderful orator who had an immense impact on the people to whom he spoke. As he addressed the crowd, he made sure to note that he realized that there was still a fight ahead of black people to ensure that they received equal rights, and that he planned to be there every step of the way.
Alfred Nobel started the famed Nobel Prizes. In his will, he stated the Nobel Prize for Peace should be awarded to a person who
"shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
Nobel also said that the individual who receives this award should be chosen by five people in the Norwegian Parliament. Martin Luther King Jr. won the prize in 1964.