For America250, what date marked the United States semiquincentennial?

For America250, the United States semiquincentennial was marked on July 4, 2026.

The date commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Second Continental Congress adopting the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The term semiquincentennial means a 250th anniversary, although several other names have also appeared in historical and cultural usage.

America250 is the popular name for the national commemoration. It follows the United States Bicentennial of 1976, which marked the 200th anniversary of the Declaration’s adoption. The 2026 observance therefore links the nation’s major anniversary traditions across a 50-year interval.

The date is sometimes described as the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration, but adoption and signing were not exactly the same event. Congress approved the Declaration on July 4, while most delegates signed the engrossed parchment copy on August 2.