King

King, Martin Luther

(1929-68) a black US religious leader who became the most important leader of the civil rights movement and worked hard to achieve social changes for black people. He was a great public speaker, and many people remember his famous speech that starts with the words "I have a dream". He encouraged people to try to achieve changes without using violence, and in 1964 he won the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1968 he was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee. In the US there is a national holiday in January to celebrate his birthday.

King ²

King, Rod|ney

(1966- ) a black US man who was violently attacked by a group of white police officers in Los Angeles in 1991. By chance an ordinary citizen filmed the attack, and this film was later shown on US television. When the police officers were judged in a court of law in 1992, the ↑jury decided that they were not guilty of being too violent, and this led to the Los Angeles ↑riots (=violent public protests) . Many people in the US thought that this event proved that black people were still not being treated fairly by the legal system.

King ³

King, The

an informal name still used for the famous singer Elvis Presley, used especially by people who love his music