Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. His death occurred in Memphis, Tennessee, where he had traveled to support a sanitation workers' strike. King was shot by James Earl Ray while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. His assassination sent shockwaves across the nation and ignited widespread riots and protests in numerous cities. King’s legacy as a civil rights leader in advocating for nonviolent resistance to racial segregation and injustice became even more prominent following his death, leading to increased determination within the civil rights movement and marking a significant moment in American history.