Parades and special events will mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day in America on Monday, Jan. 21, as citizens remember the slain civil rights leader.
Government buildings, banks and public parks that are not affected by the partial government shutdown are closed today.
Most public schools are closed today. Museums and visitor’s centers are also closed but the Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta is open.
The holiday was signed into law by President Ronald Regan in 1983, and it was officially observed as a holiday 3 years later.
King was born in Atlanta on Jan. 15, 1929. He was killed at age 39 on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The motel still looks the same today as it did on that fateful day in 1968. The motel is now part of the National Civil Rights Museum.
Atlantans will observe MLK Day with a series of special events, including a memorial service to honor King’s legacy in Cobb County.
MLK Day will be observed in South Los Angeles with the 34th Annual Kingdom Day Parade. Other cities also plan parades.
Photos by Win McNamee/Getty Images, Joe Raedle/Getty Images
