Yes, the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., as the day is officially known, is a federal holiday, held each year on the third Monday in January. In 2026 it will be celebrated on January 19. Calls for a holiday to commemorate King came almost immediately following his assassination on April 4, 1968, and legislation was signed into law by Pres. Ronald Reagan on November 2, 1983. The day is usually celebrated with marches and parades and with speeches by civil rights and political leaders.
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