I have always been uncomfortable that Martin's iconography tends towards dour, ominous, and pensive pictures foreshadowing the tragedy that would take him from us. He deserves better than that. What made him special was not how he died, but how he lived.
To celebrate that, I have decided to make a choice. I choose to remember it was not always terrible. To remember the smiles, hope and victories along the way. To hear the cheers. To bask in the glow of Coretta's love as she kissed our hero. To find sustenance in his vibrant smile. To see the same future he saw.
In that spirit, I offer this image because it is how I will always remember Martin and Coretta. It's a beautiful picture by Gene Herrick. The photo used to be available for sale from Pictopia, the AP archives. I suspect the copyright has lapsed (the photo was taken in '56) so I share it here because I can't think of a better way to say "Happy Birthday!"