But if you happen to live in Arkansas, Alabama, or Mississippi, then it’s Martin Luther King Day and Robert E. Lee Day. This might come as a surprise to people familiar with these iconic men.

Lee was born on Jan. 19, 1807 in Virginia and died Oct. 12, 1870. King was born on Jan. 15, 1929. Efforts to designate a holiday for King began shortly after his assassination on April 4, 1968.

President Ronald Reagan in 1983 signed legislation naming the third Monday of January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day to honor the slain civil rights leader.

Alabama’s long practice of celebrating a joint Martin Luther King Jr./Robert E. Lee Day continues, despite efforts to separate the two.

This is especially true for the debate that has raged for decades between those seeking to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the same day that a handful of states salute General Robert E ...

“Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert E. Lee were two men with totally different agendas, beliefs and goals,” Sen. Vivian Figures, the author of the bill, told AL.com at the time.

Martin Luther King Day is a celebration of the late civil rights leader, taking place on the 3rd Monday in January. However, two states celebrate another historical figure on the same day ...

Alabama and Mississippi will also honor Robert E. Lee on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. BY Associated Press Alabama. PUBLISHED 4:30 PM ET Jan. 19, 2025 PUBLISHED 4:30 PM EST ...

Arkansas is putting a stop to its celebration of both Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr., on the same day.

The U.S. is set to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday set aside to honor the life of the civil rights icon. But in Alabama and Mississippi, Monday is also Robert E. Lee Day in ...

— The U.S. is set to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday set aside to honor the life of the civil rights icon. But in Alabama and Mississippi, Monday is also Robert E. Lee Day ...

But in Alabama and Mississippi, Monday is also Robert E. Lee Day in honor of the Confederate general. The U.S. is set to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday set aside to honor the ...