What is MLK Day? What to know about the federal holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

 The life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will once again be celebrated and honored on Monday at events around the nation.

The Civil Rights icon, whose work to end segregation and racism through nonviolence earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, is the only non-president with a federal holiday named in his honor. Every year on MLK Day, the federal government closes and citizens across the U.S. take part in a day of service.

Here’s everything to know about MLK Day, including how it became a federal holiday.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2025:Are government offices open or closed? What to know

When is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

The federal government shuts down on the third Monday of every January for the day to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

This year, that day is Jan. 20.

The holiday in his honor is timed to honor King’s birthday on Jan. 15, 1929.

However, the holiday, which did happen to align with his birthday in 2024, rarely falls on that actual day. That’s because of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which former President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law in 1968 to make many federal holidays occur on Mondays.

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MLK Day aligns with Trump inauguration

This year, MLK Day also happens to be the day that President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated and take office for a second term.

It’s rare that such a coincidence has occurred, having only happened two other times: Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2013 and Bill Clinton’s in 1997.

More:Inauguration live updates: Donald Trump to take oath of office, return for second term

Who was Martin Luther King Jr.?

The Baptist minister first came to national prominence during the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama. King would go on to become one of the most prominent figures in the Civil Rights movement, founding the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 and leading the 1963 March on Washington.

King is famed for advocating for civil disobedience and nonviolent methods to push back against racism and segregation.

In 1963, King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the National Mall during the March on Washington.

What is the meaning of MLK Day?

MLK Day was designated as a national day of service in which all Americans are encouraged to volunteer to improve their communities, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Across the nation, cities and local communities will host ceremonies and volunteer events on Monday.

Nationally, the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia is hosting a variety of events through Monday to commemorate King and honor those who embody the principles for which he stood.

The NAACP will also host its annual King Day at the Dome event, which Vice President Kamala Harris headlined in 2024. This year, Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, will headline.

When was Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated?

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, according to the Stanford Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute. He was standing on a second-floor balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.

James Earl Ray confessed to shooting King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. King’s killing sent shockwaves through America and is still regarded as a landmark event in U.S. history.

King, who was 39 at the time of his death, would be turning 96 this month.

How did Martin Luther King Jr. Day become a federal holiday?

The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began four days after he was assassinated.

But despite the national fervor inspired by the death of the leader who was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, legislation to honor him languished for years, according to the National Constitution Center.

It wasn’t for 15 years until after King’s death that civil rights activists finally succeeded in making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a nationally observed holiday.

On Nov. 2, 1983, Reagan signed a bill making the third Monday in January a federal holiday in observance of King’s legacy. The holiday was first observed three years later on Jan. 20, 1986.

Are government offices closed on MLK day?

Because MLK Day is a federal holiday, federal offices will be closed, and federal workers will have a paid day off, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Contributing: Damon C. Williams, USA TODAY NETWORK

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com