King (Thomas Starr) is born in New York City.

The son of Rev. Thomas Farrington and Susan (Starr) King, Thomas Starr King moves to Boston with his family in 1835. After studying on his own for the ministry, he assumes his father former position as minister of the Charlestown Universalist Church in 1846, then becomes minister at the Hollis Street Church in 1849. Rev. Theodore Parker, who was himself a distinguished orator, calls King “The best preacher in Boston.” King marries Julia Wiggin, leaves Boston to become minister of a church in San Francisco in 1860, and dies there on March 4, 1964. He is buried on the campus of the University of San Francisco.