Izola Ware Curry brought a gun and a letter opener to a book signing event where she attacked Martin Luther King Jr. on September 20, 1958, in Harlem, New York City. Curry approached King and asked if he was Martin Luther King Jr., to which he replied yes. She then proceeded to stab him with a letter opener, narrowly missing his aorta. King was rushed to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery to remove the blade. Despite the severity of the attack, King miraculously survived and continued his work as a civil rights leader. Izola Ware Curry was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and spent the rest of her life in a mental institution.