Creation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Date: November 2, 1983 • Location: Washington, United States

U.S. President Ronald Reagan signs a bill creating Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Ronald Wilson Reagan was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. A member of the Republican Party, he became an important figure in the American conservative movement. The period encompassing his presidency is known as the Reagan era.