By Chris Hoenig
The nation honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a holiday that has transformed into a national day of service. But did you know the formal holiday almost never happened
Ideas for a national holiday recognizing the life and importance of the spokesman of the civil-rights movement began shortly after his assassination in 1968. But the first legislation making Dr. King’s birthday a holiday actually failed in Congress in 1979, falling five votes shy of the majority needed. King had not held a public office, keeping some Congressmen from voting in favor of the bill, while others had qualms about the price of paying federal workers to take a day off.
