The holiday falls on the third Monday of January. A bill to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday was introduced on April 8, 1968 — four days after King was assassinated, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

On the third Monday of the month, federal, state and local governments, institutions and various industries recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

With Martin Luther King Jr. Day just around the corner, residents throughout mid-Michigan are preparing to celebrate and honor the civil rights leader’s legacy on Monday, Jan. 20.