When he was 4, King was playing with a friend near a railroad. According to his biography, he came home later, white as a sheet and wouldn’t speak. His mom tried to find out why he hadn’t called for a ride home, or asked his friend’s mom to walk him. But again, it was 1952, so kids wandering around wasn’t so odd.

Only later did he find out that the friend was hit by a train while crossing the tracks and was killed, and no one learned about it until later. King himself, couldn’t recall if he’d seen it or even been nearby when it happened. He was only told about it, years after the fact.