Take advantage of a three day weekend that honors a true patriot, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1954 until his death in 1968.
Born in Atlanta, Dr. King is best known for advancing civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience. He was inspired by the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi, and in 1955 led the bus boycott in Montgomery bus boycott. His famous "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered during the 1963 March on Washington.
On October 14, 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. And in 1965, he helped organize the Selma to Montgomery marches.
Dr. King was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as a holiday at the federal level by legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.