The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., born on Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta, was honored for his civil rights leadership when the United States Congress passed a bill in 1983 that designated the third Monday in January as a federal holiday.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal and Florida state holiday observed on the third Monday in January.

The theme for Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026 is "Mission Possible. Building Community, Uniting a Nation," according to The King Center.