Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has his mug shot taken at a police station house in Montgomery County, Alabama, following his arrest for directing a city-wide boycott of segregated buses, Feb. 21, 1956.

January 20, 2025 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day. King’s actual birthday was on January 15. April 8, 1968 – Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) introduces legislation for a federal holiday to commemorate ...

January 20, 1986 – First national celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday takes place. January 16, 1989 – The King holiday is legal in 44 states.