"I Wana Be Like Mike" : Martin Luther King Is Really Michael King

Martin Luther King Jr. was actually born Michael King Jr. on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.  His father Michael King Sr. was a reverend and had great admiration for a German reformer named Martin Luther. After attending the Fifth Baptist World Alliance Congress in Berlin, Germany, Michael Sr. decided to change both his and Michael Jr.'s name in honor of Martin Luther. Michael King Jr. was only 5 years old when his name was changed to Martin Luther King Jr.