Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, and was pronounced dead that evening after being shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.

Date and place

  • Martin Luther King Jr. died on April 4, 1968, at age 39.
  • He was shot while on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was supporting striking sanitation workers.

What happened

  • He was struck by a single rifle shot at about 6 p.m. local time and was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital.
  • He was pronounced dead a little after 7 p.m., and news of his death quickly sparked grief and unrest in cities across the United States.

TL;DR: Martin Luther King Jr. died on April 4, 1968, after being shot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.