Martin Luther King Day

Each year in the United States, Martin Luther King Day is celebrated on the third Monday of January in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. The holiday was first signed into law by Ronald Reagan in November of 1983, and first observed in 1986. Originally, some states celebrated the holiday under alternate names or combined the day with other holidays. History.com: This Day in History: November 2, 1983 U.S. Census: Facts for Features: Martin Luther King Day

In a 1964 interview with the BBC News, King said that he believed that the United States would see an African-American president within "less than 40 years". The interview was republished on the BBC WorldNews website on January 19, 2009.BBC: Dr King's Prediction (January 19, 2009)

In 1994, Congress passed legislation encouraging citizens to observe the holiday as a national day of service. People across the country contribute to their community by volunteering to build homes, read to children, renovate schools, provide meals to homeless people and perform various other charitable acts.MLKday.org: Day of Service Overview

1. Born on January 15, 1929
2. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1964
3. Spouse: Coretta Scott King
4. Fathered two sons and two daughters
5. Assassinated at 6:01 p.m., April 4, 1968 History.com: Martin Luther King Jr., Assassination

"I am convinced that love is the most durable power in the world. It is not an expression of impractical idealism, but of practical realism. Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, love is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. To return hate for hate does nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Someone must have sense enough and religion enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love."Calendar Updates: Martin Luther King Day