November 1983

President Reagan signs legislation creating a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to be observed on the third Monday of January. The law, championed for years by Coretta Scott King, John Conyers, and civil rights organizations, is the culmination of a 15-year congressional campaign.

President Reagan signs legislation creating a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to be observed on the third Monday of January beginning in 1986. The campaign to establish the holiday had been led by Coretta Scott King and members of Congress for over 15 years.