Which U.S. president signed the law making Martin Luther King Day a national holiday?

What-A-Mess

"When Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday was first observed as a national legal holiday on Jan. 20, 1986, I was not complaining..........." http://media.www.dailyutahchronicle.com/media/storage/paper244/news/2002/01/18/Feature/Stop-To.Ponder.Martin.Luther.King.Jr.Day-165911.shtml?sourcedomain=www.dailyutahchronicle.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com I would think this makes it Ronny Reagan. "January 20, 1986 - First national King Holiday Observed. By this time 17 states had official King holidays. The King Holiday Commissioners are sworn in by federal district Judge Horace Ward." http://www.thekingcenter.org/holiday/kho_chronology.html "June 7, 1999 – Governor Jean Shaheen of New Hampshire signs the King Holiday legislation into law, completing enactment of holiday in all states. Today – The King holiday is celebrated in U.S. installations and is observed by local groups in more than 100 other nations. Trinidad and other nations have also established a holiday in honor of Dr. King." Feb 12 07, 4:46 PM

star_gazer

Opposition to the bill was led by Senator Jesse Helms, who questioned whether King was important enough to receive such an honor. He was also critical of King's opposition to the Vietnam War and accused King of having Communist connections. President Ronald Reagan was also opposed to the holiday. He relented in his opposition only after Congress passed the King Day Bill with an overwhelming veto-proof majority (338 to 90 in the House of Representatives and 78 to 22 in the Senate). At the White House Rose Garden on November 2, 1983, Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday to honor King. It was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Day Feb 12 07, 6:19 PM