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Is This Viral List of 'Four Things You Didn't Know About Martin Luther King, Jr.' True?
Here's a round-up of our work centered on the life and legacy of the late civil rights leader.
by Snopes Staff , July 19, 2003
Image courtesy of Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
In 2024, the federal holiday intended to celebrate the life of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. happened to fall on his actual birthday. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 15, 1929, King dedicated his life to achieving equality and justice for all Americans. He advocated the notion that a peaceful refusal to obey unjust laws was the best way to combat racism and bring about social change.
During his memorable but too short lifetime, King pressed the case of civil rights with the White House, touched millions of Americans with his unforgettable "I Have a Dream" speech, and won the Nobel Peace Prize, on his way to leaving behind a legacy of hope and inspiration.
Despite the power of his life's work, the memory of the famed civil rights crusader has also inspired many rumors and junk news pieces over the years. Here's our collection of some of them.
By Snopes Staff
Did the FBI Send MLK a Letter Telling Him To Kill Himself?
Jan. 25, 2022
The anonymous letter purported to reveal secrets about Martin Luther King Jr.’s sex life.
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Was the U.S. Government Found Guilty of Assassinating Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Jan. 20, 2014
Conspiracy theorists hold that the United States government was sued and found culpable for the ...
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Did Barack Obama Meet with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.?
March 7, 2017
A photograph showing an adult Barack Obama with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. is chronol ...
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Is Rapper Meek Mill the Grandson of Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Aug. 6, 2015
Rumors that the musician is directly related to the civil rights icon come from a site that only ...
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Did Martin Luther King Jr. Pay the Hospital Bill for Julia Roberts' Birth?
Feb. 4, 2023
The Oscar-winning actress has a special connection to MLK and his wife, Coretta Scott King.
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Did Jimmy Carter Say Robert E. Lee Was 'Never Filled With Hatred'?
Jan. 16, 2023
He was not the first Democrat to praise the Confederate leader.
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Did Kamala Harris Plagiarize Martin Luther King Jr.?
Jan. 7, 2021
A 2020 Elle interview with the vice president-elect carries some similarities to a 1965 Playboy ...
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Was Tom Hanks Cast as MLK in a New Netflix Movie?
June 30, 2023
The actor has played many iconic roles over his storied career.
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Bernie Sanders Marched with MLK at Selma?
Jan. 21, 2016
A photograph doesn't show Bernie Sanders marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 with Martin L ...
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Is MLK's 'Disobey Unjust Laws' Quote Real?
Jan. 17, 2023
The genuine quote often appears in memes on social media.
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Is This Samuel L. Jackson with MLK at a Pool Hall?
Jan. 26, 2022
This is a genuine photo of Martin Luther King Jr., but the man wearing shades in the background ...
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No, George Santos Didn't Tweet That MLK Encouraged Him To Run for Congress
Jan. 14, 2023
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, 20 years before Rep. George Santos was born.
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Did Trump Claim on Truth Social that He Marched with MLK?
Jan. 16, 2024
"I marched with King and he didn't mind that I was white," the purported post read. "I have a ho ...
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Did MLK Say This About Capitalism?
Jan. 20, 2020
Quote: "Since we know that the system will not change the rules, we're going to have to change t ...
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Was MLK Smothered in His Hospital Bed?
July 21, 2020
Questions and speculation may always surround the assassination of Dr. King, but this is not a c ...
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Leonardo DiCaprio Cast as MLK in New Film, Will Wear Blackface?
April 16, 2014
Rumor: Actor Leonardo DiCaprio will be portraying Martin Luther King in an upcoming film.
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Was Bernice King's Tweet on MLK Day Flagged as Misinfo by Instagram?
Jan. 21, 2021
King tweeted about how her father “was one of the most hated men in America.”
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Did Biden Say George Floyd's Death Had Greater 'Worldwide Impact' Than MLK's?
April 7, 2021
Remarks attributed to U.S. President Joe Biden saw a resurgence in social media sharing in April ...
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Did Martin Luther King Jr. 'Flip the Bird' at a Photographer?
May 4, 2017
A photograph appearing to show the civil rights leader eloquently gesturing at a camera is a hoax.
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Did Trump Remove a MLK Bust from the Oval Office?
Jan. 21, 2017
A Time magazine reporter erroneously tweeted that a bust of civil rights icon Martin Luther King ...
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Michele Bachmann: Martin Luther King Would Still Be Alive If Black People Owned Guns in the 1960s?
Jan. 20, 2015
A cringe-inducing quote from the former lawmaker turned out to also be a fake one.
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Did MLK Say 'Our Lives Begin to End the Day We Become Silent'?
Jan. 16, 2017
An oft-quoted statement attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. appears to have been paraphras ...
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Did Melania Trump Copy Michelle Obama's MLK Day Message?
Jan. 18, 2018
Rumors holding that Melania Trump plagiarized her Martin Luther King Day tweet from former First ...
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Is This a Picture of Martin Luther King and a Police Dog Used to Intimidate Him?
Jan. 22, 2019
Man's best friend, or police intimidation tactic?
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Was President Obama Caught Making Offensive Comments on a 'Hot Mic'?
Jan. 18, 2017
A story about President Obama, a hot mic, and offensive comments at a Martin Luther King Day eve ...
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Does This Video Prove Martin Luther King Was a Republican?
Jan. 23, 2019
The civil rights icon was never a vocal advocate of either major political party, both of which ...
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Martin Luther King: 'Do Not Rejoice in the Death of One'
May 4, 2011
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., did not say he 'will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an e ...
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Do Democrats Want to Add Martin Luther King to Mount Rushmore?
Jan. 15, 2018
The non-thinking person's way to generate faux political outrage is to suggest any addition to A ...
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NAACP Covers George Washington Statue at MLK Day Event?
Jan. 20, 2011
A photograph of the event shows a wooden box in front of a statue of George Washington.
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Misspelled Martin Luther King Day Signs
Jan. 28, 2008
A photograph from a 2007 Corpus Christi TV station news report shows Martin Luther King Day cele ...
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Martin Luther King Stamp
June 7, 2000
Is the U.S. Postal Service discontinuing the Martin Luther King stamp?
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Is This Viral List of 'Four Things You Didn't Know About Martin Luther King, Jr.' True?
July 19, 2003
You probably didn't know most of them because they're not true.
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