EXTREMIST
James Earl Ray
1928 - 1998
James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 – April 23, 1998) was an American fugitive who was convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. After the assassination, Ray fled to London, England and was captured in the United Kingdom. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of James Earl Ray has received more than 12,495,731 page views. His biography is available in 36 different languages on Wikipedia. James Earl Ray is the 81st most popular extremist (down from 75th in 2019), the 1,701st most popular biography from United States (down from 1,564th in 2019) and the 24th most popular American Extremist.
James Earl Ray is most famous for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.
Memorability Metrics
12M
Page Views (PV)
59.15
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
36
Languages Editions (L)
2.86
Effective Languages (L*)
4.58
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among EXTREMISTS
Among extremists, James Earl Ray ranks 81 out of 283. Before him are Frank Sheeran, Shamil Basayev, Ma Barker, Emperor Norton, Wadie Haddad, and Matija Gubec. After him are Vincenzo Peruggia, Armin Meiwes, Robert-François Damiens, Sada Abe, Anders Behring Breivik, and Susan Atkins.
Most Popular Extremists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsFrank Sheeran
1920 - 2003
HPI: 59.69
Rank: 75
Shamil Basayev
1965 - 2006
HPI: 59.67
Rank: 76
Ma Barker
1873 - 1935
HPI: 59.63
Rank: 77
Emperor Norton
1818 - 1880
HPI: 59.45
Rank: 78
Wadie Haddad
1927 - 1978
HPI: 59.34
Rank: 79
Matija Gubec
1538 - 1573
HPI: 59.18
Rank: 80
James Earl Ray
1928 - 1998
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 81
Vincenzo Peruggia
1881 - 1925
HPI: 58.98
Rank: 82
Armin Meiwes
1961 - Present
HPI: 58.97
Rank: 83
Robert-François Damiens
1715 - 1757
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 84
Sada Abe
1905 - Present
HPI: 58.86
Rank: 85
Anders Behring Breivik
1979 - Present
HPI: 58.60
Rank: 86
Susan Atkins
1948 - 2009
HPI: 58.59
Rank: 87
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1928, James Earl Ray ranks 100. Before him are Gustav Leonhardt, James Ivory, Colin Chapman, Michel Serrault, Vladimir Beara, and Arman. After him are Ida Haendel, Georgy Dobrovolsky, Sol LeWitt, Seymour Papert, Torben Ulrich, and Daniel Nathans. Among people deceased in 1998, James Earl Ray ranks 50. Before him are Kunitaka Sueoka, Maurice Bucaille, Shoichi Nishimura, Kurt Franz, Maria Reiche, and Marie-Louise von Franz. After him are Sonny Bono, Ernst-Günther Schenck, Cozy Powell, Martin Rodbell, Lloyd Bridges, and Kamala Sohonie.
Others Born in 1928
Go to all RankingsGustav Leonhardt
COMPOSER
1928 - 2012
HPI: 59.69
Rank: 94
James Ivory
FILM DIRECTOR
1928 - Present
HPI: 59.57
Rank: 95
Colin Chapman
ENGINEER
1928 - 1982
HPI: 59.56
Rank: 96
Michel Serrault
ACTOR
1928 - 2007
HPI: 59.56
Rank: 97
Vladimir Beara
SOCCER PLAYER
1928 - 2014
HPI: 59.32
Rank: 98
Arman
PAINTER
1928 - 2005
HPI: 59.29
Rank: 99
James Earl Ray
EXTREMIST
1928 - 1998
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 100
Ida Haendel
POLITICIAN
1928 - 2020
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 101
Georgy Dobrovolsky
ASTRONAUT
1928 - 1971
HPI: 59.00
Rank: 102
Sol LeWitt
PAINTER
1928 - 2007
HPI: 58.97
Rank: 103
Seymour Papert
MATHEMATICIAN
1928 - 2016
HPI: 58.94
Rank: 104
Torben Ulrich
WRITER
1928 - 2023
HPI: 58.90
Rank: 105
Daniel Nathans
BIOLOGIST
1928 - 1999
HPI: 58.84
Rank: 106
Others Deceased in 1998
Go to all RankingsKunitaka Sueoka
SOCCER PLAYER
1917 - 1998
HPI: 59.95
Rank: 44
Maurice Bucaille
PHYSICIAN
1920 - 1998
HPI: 59.80
Rank: 45
Shoichi Nishimura
SOCCER PLAYER
1912 - 1998
HPI: 59.59
Rank: 46
Kurt Franz
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1914 - 1998
HPI: 59.53
Rank: 47
Maria Reiche
MATHEMATICIAN
1903 - 1998
HPI: 59.28
Rank: 48
Marie-Louise von Franz
PSYCHOLOGIST
1915 - 1998
HPI: 59.28
Rank: 49
James Earl Ray
EXTREMIST
1928 - 1998
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 50
Sonny Bono
SINGER
1935 - 1998
HPI: 59.12
Rank: 51
Ernst-Günther Schenck
PHYSICIAN
1904 - 1998
HPI: 59.08
Rank: 52
Cozy Powell
MUSICIAN
1947 - 1998
HPI: 59.05
Rank: 53
Martin Rodbell
CHEMIST
1925 - 1998
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 54
Lloyd Bridges
ACTOR
1913 - 1998
HPI: 58.87
Rank: 55
Kamala Sohonie
CHEMIST
1912 - 1998
HPI: 58.83
Rank: 56
In United States
Among people born in United States, James Earl Ray ranks 1,701 out of 20,380. Before him are Stevie Nicks (1948), Tanya Roberts (1955), Christine Baranski (1952), Janet Jackson (1966), Elisabeth Shue (1963), and Don DeLillo (1936). After him are Roberta Flack (1937), Robin Hobb (1952), Benjamin Bloom (1913), Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869), Cardi B (1992), and Abigail Adams (1744).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsStevie Nicks
SINGER
1948 - Present
HPI: 59.18
Rank: 1,695
Tanya Roberts
ACTOR
1955 - 2021
HPI: 59.18
Rank: 1,696
Christine Baranski
ACTOR
1952 - Present
HPI: 59.16
Rank: 1,697
Janet Jackson
SINGER
1966 - Present
HPI: 59.16
Rank: 1,698
Elisabeth Shue
ACTOR
1963 - Present
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 1,699
Don DeLillo
WRITER
1936 - Present
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 1,700
James Earl Ray
EXTREMIST
1928 - 1998
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 1,701
Roberta Flack
SINGER
1937 - Present
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 1,702
Robin Hobb
WRITER
1952 - Present
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 1,703
Benjamin Bloom
PSYCHOLOGIST
1913 - 1999
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 1,704
Joseph Franklin Rutherford
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1869 - 1942
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 1,705
Cardi B
ACTOR
1992 - Present
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 1,706
Abigail Adams
COMPANION
1744 - 1818
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 1,707
Among EXTREMISTS In United States
Among extremists born in United States, James Earl Ray ranks 24. Before him are Aileen Wuornos (1956), Dennis Rader (1945), Gary Ridgway (1949), Jordan Belfort (1962), Frank Sheeran (1920), and Ma Barker (1873). After him are Susan Atkins (1948), Henry Lee Lucas (1936), Whitey Bulger (1929), Robert Hansen (1939), Barry Seal (1939), and Richard Ramirez (1960).
Aileen Wuornos
1956 - 2002
HPI: 61.44
Rank: 18
Dennis Rader
1945 - Present
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 19
Gary Ridgway
1949 - Present
HPI: 59.95
Rank: 20
Jordan Belfort
1962 - Present
HPI: 59.73
Rank: 21
Frank Sheeran
1920 - 2003
HPI: 59.69
Rank: 22
Ma Barker
1873 - 1935
HPI: 59.63
Rank: 23
James Earl Ray
1928 - 1998
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 24
Susan Atkins
1948 - 2009
HPI: 58.59
Rank: 25
Henry Lee Lucas
1936 - 2001
HPI: 58.36
Rank: 26
Whitey Bulger
1929 - 2018
HPI: 58.13
Rank: 27
Robert Hansen
1939 - 2014
HPI: 57.40
Rank: 28
Barry Seal
1939 - Present
HPI: 57.32
Rank: 29
Richard Ramirez
1960 - 2013
HPI: 57.20
Rank: 30