Celebrating the Dream: 7 Interesting Facts About MLK Jr. Day

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Monday, January 15, 2018

Martin Luther King Jr. addresses a crowd from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where he delivered his famous, “I Have a Dream,” speech during the Aug. 28, 1963, march on Washington, D.C. | (Photo: Public Domain)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is being observed across the United States on Monday, as the nation remembers the famous slain civil rights icon.

Held every year on the third Monday of January, the holiday is noted for closure of schools, being a time of reflection on race relations, and, for many, a day of community volunteerism.

2018 marks 50 years since King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, having gone to the city to support a strike by sanitation workers.

Here are seven interesting facts about MLK Day. They include the observance's origins, some controversial ways to observe, and recent developments happening this year.