Malcolm X Events

1925 May 19 Malcolm X is born
Malcolm Little was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Earl and Louise Little (née Louisa Norton). His father was an outspoken Baptist lay speaker; he supported Pan-African activ...
1931 Sep 28 Earl Little (Malcom X's father) fatally struck by streetcar
After they moved to Lansing, their house was burned in 1929, however the family escaped without physical injury. On September 28, 1931, Earl Little was fatally struck by a streetcar in La...
1939 Malcolm X drops out of school after 8th grade
In December 1938 Louise Little had a nervous breakdown and was declared legally insane. The Little siblings were split up and sent to different foster homes. The state formally committed...
1943 Malcolm X is ordered to register for military
In 1943, the U.S. draft board ordered Little to register for military service.[38] He later recalled that he put on a display to avoid the draft by telling the examining officer that he c...
1946 Jan 12 Malcolm X is arrested for burglary
In late 1945, Little returned to Boston. With a group of associates, he began a series of elaborate burglaries targeting the residences of wealthy white families. On January 12, 1946, Lit...
1952 Malcolm Little changes surname to "X"
In 1952, after his release from prison, Little visited Elijah Muhammad in Chicago, Illinois. Then, like many members of the Nation of Islam, he changed his surname to "X". In his autobiog...
1952 Aug 7 Malcolm X is paroled and released from prison
On February 27, Little began serving his sentence at the Massachusetts State Prison in Charlestown. While in prison, Little earned the nickname of "Satan" for his hostility toward religio...
1958 Jan 14 Malcolm X marries Betty Sanders
On January 14, 1958, Malcolm X married Betty X (née Sanders) in Lansing, Michigan. The two had been friends for about a year and—although they had never discussed the subject—Betty X susp...
1964 Feb
to 1965 Feb
The Nation of Islam make threats against Malcolm X
After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X spoke before a wide variety of audiences in the United States. He spoke at regular meetings of Muslim Mosque, Inc., and the Organization of Af...
1964 Mar 8 Malcolm X announces his break from the Nation of Islam
On March 8, 1964, Malcolm X publicly announced his break from the Nation of Islam. He said that he was still a Muslim, but he felt the Nation of Islam had "gone as far as it can" because ...
1964 Mar 26 Malcolm X meets with Martin Luther King Jr.
After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization, and the Organization of Afro-American Unity, a secular group that advocated black natio...
1964 Apr 13
to 1965 Feb 5
 Malcolm X's International Travel
Pilgrimage to Mecca On April 13, 1964, Malcolm X departed JFK Airport in New York for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. His status as an authentic Muslim was questioned by Saudi authorities because ...
1965 Feb 14 Malcolm X's house is firebombed
In June 1964, the Nation of Islam sued to reclaim Malcolm X's residence in Queens, New York, which they claimed to own. The suit was successful, and Malcolm X was ordered to vacate. On Fe...
1965 Feb 21 Malcolm X Assassinated in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom
On February 21, 1965, in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom, Malcolm X began to speak to a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity when a disturbance broke out in the crowd of 400. A...
1965 Feb 23
to 1965 Feb 27
 Malcolm X's Funeral
The number of mourners who came to the public viewing in Harlem's Unity Funeral Home from February 23 through February 26 was estimated to be between 14,000 and 30,000. The funeral of Mal...