Celebrations of his life are already taking place throughout the country – including here on the South Shore – ahead of the holiday in his name that did not become federally observed until 1986, nearly 20 years after his 1968 assassination. Martin Luther King Jr. Day wasn't recognized as an official holiday until 2000.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have turned 96 years old. Though King's life was tragically cut short, a local pastor discovered his mission was to honor King's life and legacy through the civil rights leader's iconic speeches.

It was first proposed four days after King’s 1968 assassination outside a Memphis motel. It took 15 years until it became a federal holiday.