Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
While most know that MLK was a civil rights icon and was killed for his work, some may not know some other pieces of history that led to today being a national holiday.
For instance, the man who gave the infamous “I Have a Dream” speech was born on this day in 1929, and the King Holiday Bill tried to make January 15th the date of the holiday.
However, it was changed to be the third Monday of the month, which this year just so happened to land on his actual birthday.
It was a quick turnaround to introduce the King Holiday Bill, as it was actually presented on April 8th, 1968, which was four days after King was killed in Memphis, Tennessee.
However, it wasn’t voted on until 1979 and didn’t pass until 1983.
The measure was signed into law in 1983 by President Ronald Regan, a full 15 years after it was introduced.
The passage also marked only the third historical figure to have a federal holiday named after them.
The others were President George Washington and Christopher Columbus.
