Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the civil rights movement, a Baptist minister, and the most prominent voice in his generation for racial and economic equality in the United States. He was also powerful voice in the anti-war movement. King was assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. 2017 marks the 49th anniversary of his death. These photos commemorate the life of King and his indelible impact on American society.