Why is MLK Day on the 20th? What to know about the federal holiday

On By Littum

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is approaching this month, a federal holiday honoring the life and birthday of the influential civil rights leader.

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming holiday, why we celebrate it, and why it’s more than just a long weekend.

When is MLK Jr. Day 2025?

This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be recognized on Monday, January 20.

Why is MLK Day on the 20th?

This year, the holiday coincides with the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. While the presidential inauguration always takes place on January 20, MLK Day is a different date each year.

It is set to drop on the third Monday of January. The holiday is one of several that falls on a specific Monday each year, thanks to Uniform Monday holiday law signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.

The law was passed so that workers would have several long weekends during the year, i.a Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day)Memorial Day and Columbus Day.

Where, when was Martin Luther King born?

King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to Britannicastarted King Morehouse College at age 15 and received a bachelor’s degree in sociology before following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps by becoming a Baptist minister. He received a Bachelor of Divinity from Crozer Theological Seminary in 1951 and a Ph.D. from Boston University in 1955.

Who shot Martin Luther King?

James Earl Ray, a fugitive convicted of armed robbery, pleaded guilty on March 10, 1969, to first degree murder of King. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison in Tennessee.

According to the US Department of Justice, Ray tried to retract his realization within days, and “until his death in April 1998, he maintained that he did not shoot Dr. King and was framed by a man he knew only as Raoul.”

Alternative theories have circulated for years about who killed the civil rights leader, and King’s family has long maintained that Ray did not pull the trigger, according to the Washington Post.

When did MLK Jr. Day a public holiday?

Legislation to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day was originally introduced just four days after his assassination on April 4, 1968, according to the Smithsonian Institute.

But it wasn’t until November 2, 1983—after 15 years of activists campaigning for a holiday recognizing King and increased public support with the help of musician Stevie Wonder—that President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law. Since then, the third Monday in January has been a federal holiday to commemorate the civil rights leader.

The holiday has been recognized in all 50 states since early 2000.

Why do we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

The holiday is set aside to honor Dr. King’s life and work, and for Americans to “reflect on the principles of racial equality and nonviolent social change espoused by Dr. King.” according to Britannica.

It is also the only federal holiday set aside as a national service day, meant to be “a day on, not a day off.” according to the Ministry of the Interior.

Coretta Scott King once said, according to the department, “The greatest birthday present my husband could receive is if people of all races and ethnic backgrounds celebrated the holiday by performing individual acts of kindness through service to others.”