Honoring Martin Luther King Jr., the Man and the Kid

Today our nation honors the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., whose life helped pave the way for tomorrow's inauguration of the first black U.S president.

You may know a lot about King already:

· About his nonviolent campaign for equal rights for blacks.

· About his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963 in which he said: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

· And about how he was shot to death in 1968.

His dream was an inspiration to Barack Obama, who was 6 years old when King was assassinated.

In a speech given two years ago at the church in Atlanta, Georgia, where King was a preacher, Obama talked about the way King "led this country through the wilderness."

Obama said: "He did it with words -- words that he spoke not just to the children of slaves but the children of slave owners. Words that inspired not just black but also white, not just the Christian but the Jew, not just the Southerner but also the Northerner. He led with words, but he also led with deeds."

You may know less, though, about what King was like as a kid. Since today is the national holiday commemorating his birth, we thought we'd tell you about his younger years:

· He was born at noon on Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta. His birth certificate says his name was Michael, but he was baptized in 1931 as Martin. He had a brother and a sister.

· His father and grandfather were ministers of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Young Martin made his closest childhood friends at Ebenezer's Sunday school and later said the school helped him learn how to get along with people.

· His mother was a teacher who taught him to read before he started school. He began attending Yonge Street Elementary School when he was 5, but he wasn't supposed to start until he was 6. So the school told him to stay home until he was a year older!

· His mom taught him how to play the piano. He liked playing football and baseball as well.

· He talked about being a firefighter when he grew up. As a child he visited Fire Station No. 6, the first fire station in Atlanta to be integrated.

· He was a great student. In fact, he skipped ninth grade. And in 11th grade he scored so well on a college entrance exam that he skipped 12th grade and went straight to Morehouse College. He was 15 years old.

-- Valerie Strauss