What is the full name of MLK Day? Why is it called Martin Luther King Day?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, also known as the Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., is a federal holiday in the United States that honors the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister, and civil rights activist who played a key role in the American civil rights movement.

The holiday is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is close to King’s birthday, January 15. The holiday was established to commemorate King’s work as an anti-segregation activist and to promote equal rights for all Americans.

It was first proposed just days after King’s assassination in 1968, but it took many years of campaigning and activism by civil rights leaders, labor unions, and other groups before the holiday was officially recognized by the US government.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law that established the third Monday of January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day.