In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, here is some information about the day and the inspiring person he was.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and also a social rights activist in the United States in 1950s and 60s. He had organized a number of peaceful protests as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, including the March on Washington in 1963.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was standing on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was shot by James Earl Ray. An hour later Dr.King had died at St. Joseph’s hospital. His death sparked riots across the country throughout the United States. He is memorialized on the third Monday of January every year. This holiday was first observed as a federal holiday in 1986.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. influenced people around the world. He advocated for peaceful approaches to some of society’s biggest problems. He organized a number of marches and protests and was a key figure in the American civil rights movement.

We thank him every year for this day and we observe this day on January 15th. We will have no school, banks will be closed, and many other businesses around town will also be closed.

Thank you for reading Canes. Have a peaceful day!