Today marks Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a holiday that had a rocky path to establishment.
Although King was assassinated in 1968, legislation designating the third Monday in January—near his Jan. 15 birthday—as a legal holiday to honor him did not pass until 1983. The first year the U.S. observed the holiday was 1986, when the day fell on Jan. 20.
That Monday, people across the country held marches and church services to celebrate King’s legacy, as shown by this 1986 ABC News report. In California, a freedom train ran from San Jose to San Francisco to honor King, while thousands marched in Birmingham, Ala.
Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.