What Day Was Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech?

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Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a rally attended by roughly a quarter of a million people.

The speech is widely regarded as one of the most significant moments of the American civil rights movement and helped build momentum toward the Civil Rights Act passed the following year.

The speech's most famous "I have a dream" passage was reportedly a largely improvised departure from King's prepared remarks, prompted in the moment by gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who was seated nearby, calling out for him to "tell them about the dream."

The March on Washington was organized in part by civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph and organizer Bayard Rustin, whose extensive logistical planning helped ensure the large gathering remained peaceful throughout the day.