Martin Luther King Jr., a reverend and civil-rights activist, was assassinated at 39. However, he inspired several movements and political changes.

More than 50 years after he died at age 39 from an assassin’s bullet, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. endures as one of the most influential and recognizable figures in American history. His rise from the pulpit of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to his groundbreaking work as a founder and leader

A Life,' spoke on a Jan. 3 episode of NPR’s 'Book of the Day' podcast about Martin Luther King Jr., and noted that MLK didn’t have plans to become a civil rights leader when he joined the Montgomery Bus boycott in 1965.