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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

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Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, NYWT&S Collection, reproduction number, e.g., LC-USZ62-122982

In 1983, President Reagan signed H.R. 3706, a bill to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday, which became Public Law No: 98-144.  The day (and federal holiday) is declared each year via Presidential Proclamation and is in honor of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  The first proclamation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was also by Ronald Reagan just over two years later.

In the 2010 proclamation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President Obama highlighted the MLK Day of Service projects across the country.  This year, the MLK 25 Challenge was announced to “call to all Americans to honor Dr. King by pledging to take at least 25 actions during 2011 to make a difference for others and strengthen our communities.”  Are you doing anything to mark this holiday?

For more information on Martin Luther King, Jr., including the “I Have a Dream” speech, “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” and his Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, see Today in History: January 15 from the Library of Congress.  If you would like to see more images of Martin Luther King, Jr., search the Prints and Photographs catalog.

Comments (9)

  1. martin luther king , sacrifice himself for his principle and to make his people life with freedoom and dignity , my great respect to this man

  2. martin luther king is not his legal name, he was a proven communist. but you still celebrate..

  3. Let Freedom Ring!!!!!!!

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