On this day, January the 17th, in the year of 2022, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday every third Monday of January to recognize the workings and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is celebrated in the United States of America.

Dr. King, known for his non violent methods of pushing and getting civil rights for Americas black populace, was an instrumental part of the greater Civil Rights Movement.

Calls for a national holiday dedicated to Dr. King have been around since his death, but due to racial pushback and the economic concerns of another paid holiday, Martin Luther King Day wasn’t passed by Congress.

But in 1983, a bill to make the holiday was overwhelmingly passed in Congress and signed by President Ronald Reagan, being first celebrated on Jan. 20th, 1986. 

However, it wouldn’t be until 2000 when all 50 states recognized the holiday, with South Carolina being the last holdout, as before the move, it was an option of three other Confederate based holidays or MLK day to be a paid holiday (National Today) (Britannica) (Newsweek) (Britannica).

To read more daily facts and tidbits and about holidays, see the Barron Perspectives “On this Day Archives” webpage and articles such as “(Boxing Day) On This Day – December 26th” and “On This Day – November 25th (Evacuation Day)”.