MLK: Today we pause to reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man whose vision changed the world.

A social activist and Baptist minister, King played a key role in the civil rights movement until his assassination in 1968. While he sought equality and human rights for African Americans, he also fought for the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice.

His peaceful protests gained him and the civil rights movement respect. When police officers turned on the protestors with billy clubs, fire hoses, cattle prods and tear gas during the voting rights march to Selma, Alabama, the protestors didn’t resist.

President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the National Guard to protect the demonstrators from attack.

In 1964, when King won the Nobel Peace Prize, he was described as “the first person in the Western world to have shown us that a struggle can be waged without violence.”

From USHistory.org: “In the 1980s, his birthday became a national holiday, creating an annual opportunity for Americans to reflect on the two values he dedicated his life to advancing: equality and nonviolence.”

TODAY: Other notable moments in history that happened this day: in 1846, the first edition of Charles Dickens’ newspaper “The Daily News” was printed.

In 1861, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi and four other southern senators resign. Davis went on to become the president of the Confederate States of America.

In 1915, Kiwanis International was founded in Detroit.

In 1935, The Wilderness Society is founded by conservationists.

In 1962, snow fell in San Francisco. Imagine their surprise.

In 1973, the 23rd NFL Pro Bowl was held in Texas Stadium. The AFC defeated the NFC. The MVP of the game was a member of the Buffalo Bills: Orenthal James Simpson.

In 1987, BB King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and donated his 7,000-record collection to the University of Mississippi.