King and Baloi both gunned down at 39

April 4 1968 — American civil rights leader and Baptist minister Martin Luther King jnr, 39, is assassinated while standing on a second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray confesses (but later tries to recant), pleads guilty in March 1969 and receives a 98-year sentence. King was born Michael King jnr in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15 1929. He became known for his public-speaking ability in high school. He fought for civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience, inspired by his Christian beliefs and the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

April 4 2004 — Gito Baloi, 39, one of the most respected guitarists from Southern Africa, is shot dead in Johannesburg while on his way home after a concert in Pretoria. He is shot three times through the window of his car by two robbers while dropping off a friend in Nugget Street. Felix Garcao do Rosario Serafim Bernardo Baloi was born in Matola, Mozambique, on September 30 1964. The budding musician left home as a teenager and, on foot, headed for SA with a few friends to avoid being forced to fight in the civil war. He is remembered as a member of the Tananas, and for his albums as vocalist and bassist: “Ekhaya” (1995), “Na Ku Randza” (1997), “Herbs & Roots” (2003) and the posthumously released “Beyond” (2008).