Martin Luther King Jr. Day Countdown

Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on the third Monday of January, near Dr. King's January 15 birthday. This countdown automatically targets the next one.

How many days until Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday, January 18, 2027, which is 179 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

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MLK Day's story so far

1968Four days after King's assassination, Rep. John Conyers of Michigan introduces the first federal holiday bill in Congress, with Coretta Scott King's backing.

1982Coretta Scott King and Stevie Wonder deliver a petition with roughly 6 million signatures to House Speaker Tip O'Neill during a Washington rally marking 15 years of pushing for the holiday.

1986Arizona Gov. Bruce Babbitt creates a paid state holiday by executive order after a state bill fails — the opening move in a bitter, years-long holdout.

1990Arizona voters narrowly reject two competing ballot measures to establish the holiday, leaving the state as a national holdout.

1991NFL owners vote to strip Phoenix of the 1993 Super Bowl over Arizona's failure to adopt the holiday, costing the state an estimated $200 million in economic impact.

1992Arizona voters approve the holiday with 62% support in a new referendum; the state goes on to host Super Bowl XXX in Tempe in 1996.

1994Congress passes the King Holiday and Service Act, signed by President Clinton, formally charging a federal agency with organizing the day as a national day of service.

MLK Day of Service records

Largest single MLK Day service eventGreater Philadelphia MLK Day of Service — begun in 1996 with 1,000 volunteers, now the largest and longest-running King Day event in the country, drawing over 150,000 volunteers in a single day in recent years

Most volunteer projects nationally in one yearMore than 13,000 service projects in 2009 — over double 2008's count — fueled by President-elect Obama's call to service the day before his inauguration

A hard-won holiday

Campaigns for a King holiday began days after his assassination in 1968; President Reagan signed it into law in 1983 and it was first observed in 1986. By 2000, all fifty states recognized it.

A day on, not a day off

MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service, with volunteer projects across the country honoring Dr. King's legacy.

Stevie Wonder's birthday song

The final push for the holiday came with a melody: Stevie Wonder released 'Happy Birthday' in 1980 as a campaign anthem for a King holiday, toured behind it, and helped deliver a petition of six million signatures to Congress — described as the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history at the time.

Quick facts

Observed on the third Monday of January
Signed into law in 1983; first observed in 1986
Recognized by all 50 states since 2000
The only federal holiday designated a national day of service
Stevie Wonder's 'Happy Birthday' was written to campaign for the holiday

A U.S. federal holiday

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of the 11 official U.S. federal holidays. Not sure which one comes next? The next federal holiday countdown always ticks down to whichever is soonest — and the next long weekend countdown tells you when you're off work for 3 days straight.

A day on, not a day off

Read, reflect, and share the story with the next generation.

Books by Dr. King Letter from Birmingham Jail MLK books for kids I Have a Dream print Civil rights history Volunteer day supplies

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Learn more

The King Center Wikipedia

Martin Luther King Jr. Day — frequently asked questions

When is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday, January 18, 2027.

How many days until Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday, January 18, 2027, which is 179 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

Updated July 2026 · alarm-clock.org

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