However, the federal holiday is not celebrated on Martin Luther King Jr.'s actual birthday, i.e., January 15. Instead, MLK Day is observed on the third Monday of the month to align with the birthday.

The Rev. Martin Luther ... close to King’s Jan. 15 birthday — federal, state and local governments, institutions and various industries recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day — or MLK Day — is on Monday, Jan. 20. MLK Day always takes place on the third Monday of January since it falls near his birthday, which is Jan. 15.

Martin Luther King's birthday was on January 15, so being on the third Monday in January it was close to that date, because it is a federal holiday that is taken as a day of work, not rest.

The holiday in his honor is timed to honor King’s birthday on Jan. 15, 1929. However ... activists finally succeeded in making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a nationally observed holiday.

FILE - Passengers depart the Caltrain Norcal MLK Celebration Train in San Francisco on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (Benjamin Fanjoy/San Francisco Chronicle via AP ...

As we pay tribute to his life and legacy on Martin Luther King Jr. Day — observed on the third Monday of January in recognition of his birthday on Jan. 15, 1929 — we revisit some of his most ...

Jan. 20. Call or check online for individual store hours. Martin Luther King Jr. Day became an observed national holiday Nov. 2, 1983, after 15 years of congressional battles to get a national day ...

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He chose that location in part to honor President Abraham Lincoln as “a ...