The 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death was marked by leaders of the White House and the Senate on Thursday with words of praise and tribute.

"Because of the leadership of this man we rose up out of fear and became willing to put our bodies on the line," said Rep. John Lewis, who worked with Mr. King during the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 60s.

The ceremony was held in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall where top officials such as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House and Senate Republican leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell held their speeches.
 
Authorities expect thousands of people to gather in Memphis, Tennessee to attend the 40th anniversary of King’s death. Masses will assemble on the Lorraine Motel, the exact spot where the civil rights activist was shot dead on April 4, 1968. Mr. King was 39.

Presidential candidates John McCain and Hillary Clinton announced they will attend the ceremony, but not the third possible U.S. president, Barack Obama.

The events include a "recommitment march" through Memphis and the laying of wreaths at the Lorraine Motel.  The march, which will be followed by an evening candle-lit vigil, will be led by Martin Luther King III and Rev Al Sharpton.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was one of America’s crucial civil rights militants. The Baptist minister led a huge campaign against segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the 1960s.

The King’s efforts were successful as they led to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He received the Nobel Peace Prize for his achievements at the age of 35.

Mr. King was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis by a rifle shot. He was in town to help organize sanitation workers strike. The assassination triggered a series of mass riots all over the United States. The African American communities in at least 100 U.S. cities revolted.