In pics: Americans celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which was first observed in 1986, is celebrated across the United States on the third Monday of January every year to honor the life and achievements of the civil-rights leader who worked relentlessly to achieve equality for people of all colors. Martin Luther King Jr., who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.