Today is perhaps one of the most meaningful holidays on the calendar, a day when we remember a true American hero and revolutionary: Martin Luther King, Jr. He would have turned 84 years old this year (his birthday is actually January 15), but he was tragically assassinated at only 38 years of age, on April 4, 1968. Still, the clergyman and activist did more for the advancement of civil rights in his short lifetime than anyone in this country before or since. Perhaps most remarkable of all, Martin Luther King, Jr., made change through peaceful protest. His words were his weapon, his way of galvanizing a generation into action.

And so, on this profound occasion, we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy with a selection of his most memorable and significant quotes.