Nov. 17, 1955: Yolanda Denise King, the first child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, is born in Montgomery, Ala. Two weeks later Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man, sparking a massive bus boycott led by Martin Luther King Jr.

AP/NYT

Yolanda King in 1968 after her father's funeral in Atlanta.

Timeline: Over the years She shared the dream Sign guest book Photos: Memorial service | Her life | At the King Center Video: Ebenezer Baptist service

January 1956: The Kings' Montgomery home is bombed. No one is hurt.

Oct. 23, 1957: Brother Martin Luther King III is born in Montgomery.

1960: The family moves to Atlanta, the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr.

Jan. 30, 1961: Brother Dexter Scott King is born in Atlanta.

March 28, 1963: Sister Bernice Albertine King is born in Atlanta

April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tenn. Yolanda, 12, hears about the killing from a TV news report.

1972: She graduates from Grady High School.

1976: Receives a bachelor of arts degree from Smith College in Northampton, Mass. While at Smith she was a co-director of the Student Theatre Workshop and appeared in a variety of roles and performances.

1978: Plays the role of Rosa Parks in the TV miniseries "King."

1979: Receives a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University.

1980 Co-founds, along with Atallah Shabazz, daughter of Malcom X, the performing arts company Nucleus. The company's first production, the musical "Stepping Into Tomorrow," is about growing up.

November, 1984: Yolanda's arrested while protesting at the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C. After her release she told reporters, "This was my first time in jail, Last night was the first time I had the privilege to serve."

January 1986: She is arrested at a Winn-Dixie in Atlanta while protesting the chain's sale of products from South Africa.

September 1986: Directs the pageant "Praising God for 100 years: A Past to Honor, a Present to Uphold, a Future to Mold," a history of Ebenezer Baptist Church.

January 1988: Produces and directs "Victorious Dreams: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Faith in the Face of Struggle, " an evening of dramatic reading, music and dance at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

December 1990: Pulls out of an acting performance in the play, "Stepping Into Tomorrow," in Tucson, Arizona, citing the state's failure to approve a King holiday.

July 1992: Plays 16 characters in a one-woman show, "Tracks," at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The performance is based on a speech by her father, "Three Dimensions of a Complete Life."

January 1995: Performs "Tracks" at the Atlanta Civic Center as part of King Week.

January 1999: Plays the role of a teacher, along with Elizabeth Omilami, daughter of Hosea Williams, in the Disney TV production, "Selma, Lord, Selma," about the 1965 March on Selma, Ala.

January 2004: Her book, "Open My Eyes, Open My Soul: Celebrating Our Common Humanity," is published.

Jan. 30, 2006: Coretta Scott King dies of complications from ovarian cancer diagnosed after she had a stroke and mild heart attack.

June 23, 2006: The King family strikes a deal to sell thousands of their father's papers and books to a consortium led by Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin for $32 million.

Nov 13, 06: Yolanda and her siblings attend the groundbreaking for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C.

Nov. 20, 06: The King children rebury their mother alongside Martin Luther King Jr. at the King Center.

January 14, 2007: On the day before her first MLK Jr. national holiday without her mother, Yolanda speaks at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, then signs copies of her new book, "Embracing Your Power in 30 Days." "I am a 100 percent, dyed-in-the-wool, card-carrying believer in the dream, " she said.

January 19, 2007: Attends a meeting of children and grandchildren of world leaders in the Netherlands to discuss nonviolence, economic justice and other issues.

May 6, 2007: Speaks at Ebenezer Baptist Church about the "Power To End Stroke" campaign, sponsored by the American Stroke Association.

May 15, 2007: Yolanda Denise King dies in Santa Monica, Calif.

Compiled by news researcher Richard Hallman