Millions of people remembered the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday with marches, readings, speeches and rallies. Dr. King would have turned 74 years old this month.

More than 30,000 people gathered in Denver to participate in a combination march and parade honoring slain Dr. King. Those who gathered at a statue of King at Denver's City Park heard from speakers who say this year's celebration has taken on added importance.

They told the crowd that the country's civil rights are being eroded under the banner of national security. Marcus Houston, the University of Colorado running back who recently transfered to rival Colorado State University, says the gains of the past must be protected. He says he is a member of the ``vanguard'' generation that will do that.

Hundreds of anti-war protesters also participated in Monday's rally, many carrying signs that quoted Dr. King's and his mantra of non-violence.

Meantime, President Bush says there's still work to do to achieve Dr. King's dream of equality.

President Bush spoke at a church near Washington Monday. His King Day proclamation says America must pledge itself anew to the great
civil rights leader's goals of justice and equality.

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Timeline of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life

• Michael King, later known as Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929.

• September 20, 1944, King began his freshman year at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

• August 6, 1946, the Atlanta Constitution published King's letter to the editor stating that black people "are entitled to the basic rights and opportunities of American citizens."

• In January and February of 1947 King's article, "The Purpose of Education" was published in the Morehouse student paper, the Maroon Tiger.

• 1948 was a busy year for Martin Luther King, Jr. In February he was ordained and appointed as the assistant pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

• In June of 1948, King received his B.A. in Sociology from Morehouse College.

• In September that same year he began his studies at Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Penn.

• May 1951, King graduated from Crozer with a Bachelor of Divinity degree, and delivered the Valedictory Address at commencement.

• In September of 1951, he began his graduate studies in systematic theology at Boston University.

• On June 18, 1953, Martin Luther King, Jr. married Coretta Scott near Marion, Ala.

• February 28, 1954, King delivers the sermon, "Rediscovering Lost Values" at the Second Baptist Church in Detroit.

• On September 1, 1954, King begins his pastorate at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.

• June 5, 1955 Martin Luther King earns his PhD. in Systematic Theology from Boston University.

• On December 5, 1955 King becomes the president of MIA, the Montgomery Improvement Association.

• In February of 1957, Martin Luther King, Jr. appeared on the cover of Time magazine, as Time’s Man of the Year.

• During the spring of 1963, King and his staff guided mass demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, where local white police officials were known from their anti-black attitudes.

• Subsequent mass demonstrations in many communities culminated in a march on August 28, 1963, that attracted more than 250,000 protesters to Washington, D. C. Addressing the marchers from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" oration.

• In December of 1964, King was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while seeking to assist a garbage workers' strike in Memphis.

• He died revered by many for his martyrdom on behalf of non-violence, and condemned by others for his militancy and insurgent views.

Source: http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/ (The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project at Stanford University)