Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January. It celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader. He is most well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation on public transport and for racial equality in the United States.

Each year schools, federal offices, post office and banks across America close as we celebrate the birth, the life and the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It is an occasion for joy and celebration for his life and his work toward nonviolent social change in America and the world.

It took many years for Congress to decide to celebrate the holiday.  In the years leading up to the official decree many African-Americans celebrated the birthday themselves with a few states declaring King’s birthday a state holiday.

The bill was finally passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and was signed into law on November 2, 1983.  The first national celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday took place January 20, 1986.