Michael King, Jr. is born in Atlanta, Georgia. After a visit to Germany, his father changes their names. At thirteen, King wins an oratorical contest and is ordered to stand on the bus so white passengers can sit down. This inspires him to join the seminary and fight for social justice. He earns his doctorate and soon after leads the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In retaliation, the King home is bombed. He organizes nonviolent protests in Albany and Birmingham before the March on Washington. After winning the Nobel Peace Prize, he organizes the Selma to Montgomery marches and expands his focus to include poverty and opposition to the Vietnam War. On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated. King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and a National Holiday is named in his honor. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is dedicated on the National Mall.