Why is MLK Day on the 20th? What you should know about the federal holiday

This month marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday honoring the life and birthday of the influential civil rights leader.

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming holiday, why we celebrate it, and why it’s more than just a long weekend.

When is MLK Jr. Day 2025?

This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be celebrated on Monday, January 20th.

Why is MLK Day on the 20th?

This year, the holiday coincides with the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. While the presidential inauguration always occurs on January 20, MLK Day is a different date each year.

It is scheduled to fall on the third Monday in January. The holiday is one of several holidays that fall on a specific Monday each year, thanks to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.

The law was enacted to give workers several long weekends throughout the year, including Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day), Memorial Day and Columbus Day.

Where and when was Martin Luther King born?

King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to Britannica, King founded Morehouse College at age 15 and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology before following in his father and grandfather’s footsteps and becoming a Baptist minister. He received a Bachelor of Theological Studies from Crozer Theological Seminary in 1951 and a Ph.D. in 1955. from Boston University.

Who shot Martin Luther King?

James Earl Ray, a fugitive convicted of armed robbery, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder of King on March 10, 1969. He was sentenced to 99 years in Tennessee State Prison.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, within days, Ray attempted to withdraw his guilty plea and “until his death in April 1998, he maintained that he had murdered Dr. King wasn’t shot and was framed by a man he only knew as Raoul.”

Alternative theories have been circulating for years as to who killed the civil rights leader, and King’s family has long maintained that Ray did not pull the trigger, according to the Washington Post.

When did MLK Jr. Day become a holiday?

According to the Smithsonian Institute, legislation recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day was initially introduced just four days after his assassination on April 4, 1968.

But it wasn’t until November 2, 1983—after 15 years of activists campaigning for a holiday honoring King and increasing public support with the help of musician Stevie Wonder—that President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill. Since then, the third Monday in January has been a federal holiday in memory of the civil rights activist.

The holiday has been recognized in all 50 states since the beginning of 2000.

Why do we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

The holiday is intended to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Honoring King and allowing Americans to “think about what Dr. “To reflect on the principles of racial equality and nonviolent social change espoused by King,” Britannica said.

According to the Interior Ministry, it is also the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service and is intended to be “a day on, not a day off.”

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Why is MLK Day on the 20th? What you should know about the federal holiday

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