Why Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday

January 20 marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday honoring the life and legacy of the American civil rights icon who was assassinated in 1968.

The vacation didn’t go smoothly. The effort by King’s widow Coretta Scott King, lawmakers, activists and others took years.

Here’s how Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a holiday.

When is MLK Day 2025?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on January 20, 2025.

This year the inauguration falls on the same day.

The holiday is observed each year on the third Monday in January and the commemoration is the only federal holiday “designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer and improve their communities,” according to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

How did Martin Luther King Jr. Day become a holiday?

Former U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., introduced legislation to create a federal holiday honoring King on April 8, 1968, just four days after the civil rights leader’s assassination.

Over the next decade, support for the holiday would grow across the country, and several states, including Illinois, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, would establish statewide holidays honoring King.

Conyers spent years reintroducing federal legislation, with support from lawmakers in the Congressional Black Caucus. And in 1979, on King’s 50th birthday, the bill came up in the House of Representatives but failed by five votes.

The fight over the introduction of the holiday did not end with the close vote. Coretta Scott King and others advocated for the holiday and mobilized the public.

King would testify before Congress several times. She and singer Stevie Wonder, who released his song “Happy Birthday” to support the holiday’s adoption, submitted a petition for the holiday in 1982 with over 6 million signatures.

The House of Representatives finally approved the holiday in 1983, and although the push to enact the commemoration faced opposition in the Senate, former President Ronald Reagan signed it into law later that year.

When was Martin Luther King Jr. Day first celebrated?

The first national holiday in honor of the king was celebrated in 1986.

But states across the country took longer to adopt the holiday, including battles in Arizona, South Carolina and elsewhere, according to the National Constitution Center. The holiday has been recognized in every state since 2000.

When did Martin Luther King Jr. Day become a holiday in Texas?

Texas officially recognized MLK Day in 1991. To date, it remains the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service, encouraging all Americans to volunteer and contribute to their communities.

Why is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January?

The holiday commemorates King’s birthday, January 15th.

However, due to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act signed into law by former President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January. Originally, three federal holidays were established: Memorial Day, Veterans Day and former President George Washington’s birthday, which is observed on Mondays.

Although the anniversary of King’s birthday falls on a Sunday, it is observed on Monday, like the other holidays under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

What role did music play in making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a holiday?

According to the National Constitution Center, Stevie Wonder released “Happy Birthday to You” in 1981, making a powerful political and social statement that helped change U.S. history. The musical genius wrote the song to urge and shame lawmakers and voters into voting Dr. To recognize Martin Luther King Jr. with a national holiday. Until then, there was no clear majority of lawmakers willing to support the vote needed to establish the holiday.

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Why Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday

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