What Awards Did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Win?

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. won hundreds of awards, including the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Freedom. He was the youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize at the time. He was also awarded the Spingarn Medal of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

King received 50 honorary degrees from various colleges and universities. He also received recognition from the American Jewish Committee when he received the American Liberties Medallion. In 1959, his book “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story” received the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. King received several awards posthumously, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 1994. His wife, Coretta Scott King, was also a recipient of the award.

In addition to receiving awards, King received other honors, such as having more than 700 cities rename streets in their communities after him. He also has the distinction of having a monument in the National Mall. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill officially creating a federal holiday which honored King. President George H.W. Bush signed a proclamation naming the third Monday of every January the day on which the holiday is celebrated. Despite this, it was only in 2000 that all 50 states officially recognized the holiday.