Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

A social activist and minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life to eradicating injustice and securing equality and human rights for African American and economically disadvantaged people through peaceful protest.

Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968

Milestone Achievements to Remember

1955 - Dr. King acted as a key organizer and spokesman for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, leading to the end of segregated seating on public buses in 1956.

1963 - Two hundred and fifty thousand people gathered outside the Lincoln Memorial to hear Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech following the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

1964-1965 - Two landmark pieces of federal legislation in the civil rights movement were passed under Dr. King’s leadership: The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed racial discrimination in employment and education and racial segregation in public facilities.

1964 - Dr. King became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Note: Malala Yousafzai later became the youngest to receive the prize in 2014.

1983 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day became a U.S. federal holiday, although it was not observed until 1986. In 1994, Congress designated the federal holiday as a national day of service.

ⁿ the third Monday in January each year, we honor O Dr. King’s life and legacy through a national day of service: a “day on, not a day off.” The MLK Day of Service is a call for all Americans to come together in strengthening communities, building connections and developing solutions to our nation’s most pressing social problems.

The MLK Day of Service

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

– Martin Luther King, Jr.