“I’m thankful I didn’t sneeze.” 
Years before his most famous speeches, Dr. King survived an attack that nearly took his life — and chose to see it as proof that purpose is stronger than fear.
💡 Little Known Fun Fact: Martin Luther King Jr. Edition
Most people know Dr. King for his dream — but few know that he almost didn’t live to share it. In 1958, years before his famous speech, King was signing copies of his first book Stride Toward Freedom in Harlem when a woman stabbed him in the chest with a letter opener. The blade came so close to his heart that doctors said if he had sneezed, he would have died.
From his hospital bed, King reflected on the moment — realizing that survival was both a blessing and a call to keep serving. Years later, in his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, he even referenced the incident, saying he was “thankful I didn’t sneeze.” His survival strengthened his sense of purpose and deepened his belief that his life was not his own, but part of a divine mission for justice.
Little Known Fun Fact: Dr. King kept the very pen he was signing with that day — a small reminder of how close he came to losing his life before history ever heard his dream.
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