Introduction

We're breaking down what you need to know about the history of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and how it became a holiday in the first place. Spoiler: it wasn't an easy road.

1. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday is January 15th but the holiday is marked on the third Monday of every month.
2. The effort to make his birthday a national holiday took over three decades and an enormous amount of effort.
3. Stevie Wonder's Happy Birthday is about Martin Luther King, Jr!
4. The law passed in 1983 and signed by Reagan. The first federal holiday was in 1986.
5. The journey to all 50 states adopting the holiday took much longer.

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