How many times did Martin Luther King, Jr. go to jail?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested 30 times. All of Dr. King's arrests followed nonviolent protests against racial segregation and injustice in the American South.

Dr. King's first arrest occurred in 1960 in Atlanta, Ga. following a sit-in at a restaurant. During sit-ins, African-American protesters sat in white-only restaurants and demanded service until they were arrested, beaten or both. King was sentenced to four months for his role in the demonstration, but he was released early when President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy intervened on his behalf. One of King's most famous writings, "Letter From a Birmingham Jail," was written during an 11-day jail stint.