Martin Luther King Jr Day Facts

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The Date and Facts About Martin Luther King Jr Day

Martin Luther King Jr Day Date:

Enter Year to the Date of Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday in Any Year
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Rule to Determine the Date of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday
Martin Luther King Jr Day is always celebrated on the third Monday in January. The date of Martin Luther King Jr Day could be anywhere from Jan 15 to Jan 21 in any given year.

Martin Luther King Jr's Actual Birthday
Martin Luther King Jr was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He died on April 4, 1968 when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

Federal Holiday Status
Martin Luther King Jr Day is a federal holiday in the United States. Learn more about federal holidays.

About Martin Luther King Jr

• Led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
• Spoke out about the Vietnam War.
• Spoke out against poverty.
• MLK Jr was a Baptist Pastor.
• MLK Jr. had a Ph.D. in systematic theology.
• He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
• Delivered his famous I Have a Dream speech in 1963.
• First black American to be honored as Man of the Year in Time magazine.

About the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
The road to creating Martin Luther King Jr Day was a long and controversial road. Many thought that Martin Luther King Jr's birthday was too close to Christmas and New Years so they compromised with the third Monday in January. Many also thought that the Civil Rights Movement should be commemorated instead of one man. Here are some quick facts about the MLK holiday.

• Rep. John Conyers from Michigan introduced legislation for a federal holiday to celebrate MLK four days after his death in 1968. The bill became stalled.
• States later started to adopt MLK Day as state holidays. Illinois was the first in 1973.
• In 1983 congress passes legislation creating MLK Jr. Day and President Reagan signed it. In 1986 the federal holiday went into effect.
• In 1999 New Hampshire was the last state to adopt the MLK holiday.

Martin Luther King Jr Activities Online

• Martin Luther King Jr Day Wallpaper
• The Seattle Times Martin Luther King Jr Page Includes quizzes, biography, photo gallery, time line and more.
• Enchanted Learning MLK Page Includes print outs, timeline, activities and more.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service From the United States government. They are requesting that it is a day on, not a day off. Lists service projects that you and your family can do to honor the man.
• Martin Luther King Jr Fun at Kids Turn Central for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.