Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Stamp

Issued Jan. 13, 1979 at first day of issue ceremonies in Atlanta, Georgia, this stamp shows black civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and a civil rights march.This stamp was the second in the Postal Service's annual Black Heritage series.

Born in Atlanta on Jan. 15, 1929, King became a minister like his father before him. He served as pastor of a Montgomery, Ala., where he organize a boycott of the city's segregated bus system. In 1957, King helped create the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and in the 1960s became a key figure in the American civil rights movement. His efforts led to him being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. According to Postal Service rules, except for a President, no person can be commemorated on a U.S. stamp until ten years after their death. Following the passage of the necessary ten years, the stamp was issued three days before King's birthday.

For biographical information on Martin Luther King, click here.

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