America250 observes the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.
The date follows the Declaration’s adoption by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. That decision transformed the colonies’ resistance to British rule into a formal claim that the thirteen colonies were free and independent states.
The anniversary is commonly called the United States Semiquincentennial. “Semiquincentennial” combines terms referring to half of five hundred years, or 250 years. America250 is the public-facing name associated with the national commemoration.
A common mix-up concerns the Declaration’s signing. Although July 4 is the adoption date and the date printed on the document, most delegates signed the engrossed parchment on August 2, 1776, with additional signatures added later. America250’s anniversary date follows adoption, not the main signing date.