Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a US federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January, honoring the civil rights leader and Baptist minister who was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
After King's assassination, Congressman John Conyers proposed a federal holiday. After fifteen years of advocacy led by Coretta Scott King and others, President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law in 1983. The holiday was first observed nationwide in 1986. All 50 states officially observe it.
A Day of Service — many Americans volunteer in their communities. King's "I Have a Dream" speech (delivered August 28, 1963) is widely replayed. Educational events about civil rights. Marches in major cities including Atlanta (King's birthplace) and Memphis (where he was killed).
Federal holiday. Federal employees, banks, schools, and post offices closed. Many private businesses operate normally.