April 4, 1968: The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Other Historical Events on This Day

On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., aged 39, was shot and killed while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. King's death sparked widespread protests and riots across the United States, resulting in 43 deaths and over 3,000 people being injured.

By staf reporter - CSB News USA

Published on Saturday, 05 April 2025

April 4, 1968: The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Other Historical Events on This Day

April 4, 1968: The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Other Historical Events on This Day

Other notable events that occurred on this day include:

1841: President William Henry Harrison died from pneumonia after a month in office, becoming the first U.S. president to die in office. His Vice President, John Tyler, was sworn in as president two days later.
1949: Twelve countries, including the United States, signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington D.C., establishing NATO.
1973: The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York were officially opened.
1975: Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
1991: Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others died in a helicopter crash when it collided with a plane over a school yard in Marion, Pennsylvania.
2012: Five former New Orleans police officers were sentenced for shooting at people on the Danziger Bridge in the days following Hurricane Katrina. (This verdict was later overturned by a judge, who cited misconduct by the prosecution; in 2016, the officers were convicted on revised charges.)
2015: In South Carolina, 50-year-old African American Walter Scott was shot and killed while fleeing from a traffic stop. Officer Michael Slager was charged with murder. (This charge, which initially failed at state trial, was later dismissed as part of a plea agreement, and Slager was convicted of a federal civil rights violation and sentenced to 20 years in prison.)
2023: In New York, 34 criminal charges were brought against Donald Trump, accusing him of illegally making hush money payments to damage his 2016 election campaign. (He was convicted on all charges the following month.)