Martin Luther King Day is celebrated in the United States on the third Monday of January each year.
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was first established in 1986, by an act of Congress, to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement and became one of the most prominent civil rights leaders in American history. While this holiday was created to celebrate his life and legacy, it also serves as a day for Americans to reflect on the civil rights movement as a whole and consider how far America has come since Dr. King’s death.
Martin Luther King Day is observed on the third Monday of January each year, with federal offices closed for that day except for essential services such as hospitals and emergency services. However, many states observe this holiday on other days during January or other months entirely. The first time that Martin Luther King Day was celebrated as a federal holiday was in 1986, but it wasn’t until 2000 that all 50 states had adopted this date for their own observance.
