America250 commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
The anniversary is calculated from 1776, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration in Philadelphia. Adding 250 years to 1776 produces 2026, the central year of the United States semiquincentennial celebration.
The commemoration is often described as America’s 250th birthday, although the United States developed through a longer revolutionary and constitutional process. The anniversary specifically follows the Declaration’s adoption and its announcement that the thirteen colonies regarded themselves as independent states.
America250 is a national, nonpartisan initiative associated with the United States Semiquincentennial Commission. Its programs bring together historical reflection, community events, educational activities, and public service. The date also helps distinguish this anniversary from the 1976 bicentennial, which marked 200 years since 1776.