✊ Martin Luther King Jr. Day Countdown
When is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
Martin Luther King Jr. Day always falls on the third Monday in January, close to Dr. King's birthday of January 15. The countdown above always points to the next occurrence and rolls over automatically once it has passed.
The history of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day honors the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15, 1929. Legislation to create the holiday was proposed within days of his 1968 assassination, and after a long campaign led by musician Stevie Wonder and others, President Ronald Reagan signed it into law in 1983. It was first observed nationally in 1986, though it wasn't observed by all 50 states until the year 2000.
The holiday is often marked as a 'day of service,' with many Americans volunteering in their communities to honor Dr. King's legacy of civil rights activism and nonviolent protest.
Other tools you might like
Frequently asked questions
MLK Day is always the third Monday in January.
Yes — it's an official U.S. federal holiday, so banks, schools, post offices and most government offices are closed.
No — it was signed into law in 1983 and first observed nationally in 1986, though it took until 2000 for all 50 states to officially observe it.
Because many Americans mark it by volunteering in their communities, in keeping with Dr. King's legacy of service and civil rights activism.