The History of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
A comprehensive look at the hard-fought campaign to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday and its transformation into a national day of service.
U.S. stock markets will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
The third Monday in January became a federal holiday to honor the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Nov. 2, 1983, when President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The day should be used annually to remember the civil rights leader “and the just cause he stood for,” Reagan said in his remarks, according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.
The Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange will both be closed Monday for the federal holiday but will reopen for regular trading hours on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
The U.S. bond markets will also be closed on Jan. 19 and reopen on Jan. 20, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.
After MLK Day, Wall Street maintains business as usual until Monday, Feb. 16, when stock and bond markets will close in honor of Presidents Day.
United States stock market 2026 holiday schedule
U.S. stock markets will be closed on the following days in 2026:
- Presidents Day: Monday, Feb. 16
- Good Friday: Friday, April 3
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth: Friday, June 19
- Independence Day: Friday, July 3
- Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 7
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, Nov. 26 (markets will also close at 1 p.m. ET on Nov. 25)
- Christmas: Friday, Dec. 25 (markets will also close at 1 p.m. ET on Dec. 24)
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & [email protected].
