Martin Luther King Jr Day 2020

Martin Luther King Jr Day 2020

Today is Martin Luther King Jr Day. This falls on the third Monday of every January. Click to read about MLK’s biography, and why we celebrate this day.

Martin Luther King Jr Biography

While Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday is celebrated every third Monday of January, it is January 15th. King was a minister and a civil rights leader. MLK practiced nonviolent protests through sit-ins, boycotts, and assemblies. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, and thus King organized the Montgomery bus boycott. This boycott lasted for about 385 days and ended segregation on public buses in Montgomery. In 1963, King marched to Washington and delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. In 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize. King openly protested the Vietnam War. In 1968, King was assassinated by a white supremacist. After this, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 was passed. This makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of their race, religion, or origin and has since included sex, disabilities, and familial status. Since 1971, Martin Luther King Day has been celebrated, and President Ronald Regan made it a national holiday in 1983.

January 15th in History

Below are some other important events that happened on January 15th throughout history! Do you remember any from the last century happening?

• 1535 – Henry VIII proclaims he is head of the Church of England
• 1559 – Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England
• 1777 – Vermont declares independence from England
• 1844 – University of Notre Dame becomes an official institution
• 1870 – The donkey is first used as the symbol of the Democratic Party
• 1919 – Great Molasses Flood in Boston
• 1920 – Small Pox Breakout in Canada
• 1936 – Henry Ford starts his Ford Foundation
• 1967 – The Green Bay Packers win the first-ever Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs
• 1997- Princess Diana calls for a ban on landmines
• 2008 – Scientists rule that cloned animal meat is safe to eat

Final Thoughts

Did you know that Anne Frank and Martin Luther King Jr were born in the same year? Do you have a favorite quote by Martin Luther King Jr? Is there something about MLK that stands out the most to you? Comment below.