What Martin Luther King Jr. Day is

Kept on the third Monday in January, close to King’s birthday on 15 January. It became a federal holiday in 1983 after a fifteen-year campaign, and was not observed by every state until 2000.

It is designated a national day of service in the United States rather than simply a day off.

When it falls, and why the date moves

The countdown at the top of this page is live, and the date beneath it is the next occurrence. The date is set by a weekday rule rather than a fixed number, so it lands on a different date each year within a known window.

It is grouped here under National, alongside the other observances that share its calendar.

What is coming up next

Once this date passes, the countdown moves straight on to the next occurrence — you do not need a different page for next year. See the full list of upcoming events, or use the countdown timer for a date of your own.

Keep exploring World Clock

This martin luther king jr. day countdown has its own page, so the link keeps working next year as well as this one. If you came here wondering what time it is somewhere rather than how long is left, world time has the current time in every country and city.

• event countdowns — live countdowns to holidays and festivals worldwide
• countdown timer — count down from any length you set
• World Clock — pick a country or city and read its clock, offset and daylight saving rules
• time zone converter — turn a time in one place into the same instant in another
• the time around the world — the current time in every country, territory and US state