What is Martin Luther King Day? - many may ask , well Martin Luther King Day which is also officially the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and sometimes referred to as MLK Day is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. King's birthday is January 15.
The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21.
King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968.
President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
The Most Powerful Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes
“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”
“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. ”
“Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals.”
“He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.”
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
10 Major Accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr.
- Nobel Peace Prize 1964
- Grammy Hall of Fame 2012
- Presidential Medal of Freedom 1977
- Congressional Gold Medal 2004
- Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album 1971 · Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam
- Spingarn Medal 1957
- Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding 1966
- Margaret Sanger Awards 1966
- Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Nonfiction 1959 · Stride toward freedom; the Montgomery
- King was Time Magazine's Man of the Year in 1963.
What is Martin Luther King Day? - many may ask , well Martin Luther King Day which is also officially the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr...
