Born May 19, 1925 Omaha,
Nebraska

Died February 21, 1965
New York, New York

Black Muslim leader

Malcolm X was one of the most charismatic and controversial public figures of the 1960s. As a minister in the Nation of Islam (also known as the Black Muslims), an American religious sect, he preached that whites were "devils" and supported the separation of the races. After breaking with the organization, he traveled to Mecca, the holiest city of Islam, located in Saudi Arabia. His experiences during this journey changed his thinking. He became more optimistic about finding a common ground between the races. Along with other leaders of the decade, including President John F. Kennedy (1917–1963; served 1961–63; see entry), Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968; see entry), and Robert Kennedy (1925–1968), he was killed by assassin bullets.