Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the iconic civil rights leader and advocate for nonviolent resistance, was assassinated by a white sniper while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. His murder triggered a national crisis, sparking uprisings in over 100 U.S. cities. Major rebellions in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and other urban centers left 46 people dead. In response, the federal government deployed over 20,000 troops and 34,000 National Guardsmen to restore order. The assassination marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement and intensified calls for justice and reform.
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