Martin Luther King Jr Day is a paid federal holiday in the US, meaning civil servants and many school pupils are given the day off.

The day is observed on the third Monday of January each year, the day closest to his birthday on 15 January. This year, it will be held on Monday 17 January.

In 1968, Congress was presented with a petition signed by more than three million people which called for the Mr King’s birthday to be commemorated.