Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is an annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. King. This federal holiday is celebrated on the third Monday of January each year in recognition of Dr. King’s birthday. The holiday began as a state and local holiday as early as 1970, with the holiday first being observed federally in 1986.
Dr. King is best known for his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s and his advocacy for non-violent resistance. He was involved in multiple prominent events during the 1950’s and 60’s, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, the March on Washington in 1963, and the Selma-to-Montgomery March in 1965. Dr. King also received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964.