“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

— Martin Luther King Jr.

For most, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day off, and for some, not even a second thought is given as to why we are given this day. Of course, the basics of King’s civil rights struggles are known by the majority. We learn of the historic events of this era in school and the words “I have a dream” are almost always associated with this man who famously delivered the speech on Aug. 28, 1963 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom at Lincoln Memorial. But beyond the basics, how many of us really know of the life and times of this fearless leader? A man who paved the way for the rights of all, regardless of ethnicity. In our tribute to this great man, we searched for some of the lesser-known facts about King’s life and his endeavors to bring equality to all. The following are courtesy of about.com, encarta.msn.com and nobelprize.org:

• He was born Michael Luther King Jr., but later changed his name to Martin.

• In 1934, at the age of 5, King was already in first grade, but was expelled when his teacher learned of his age. He was not deterred, however, he graduated from high school at age 15 and later earned his Ph.D.

• King’s nonviolent doctrine was strongly influenced by the teachings of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.

• In 1964, he became the first black American to be honored as Time magazine’s Man of the Year.

• Also in 1964, at age 35, he was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

• King’s efforts were not limited to securing civil rights; he also spoke out against poverty and the Vietnam War. On the day of his assassination, April 4, 1968, he was in Memphis, Tenn., where he was trying to help garbage workers who were protesting against low wages and poor working conditions.