The United States Semiquincentennial is celebrated in 2026.
A semiquincentennial marks a 250th anniversary, so the event commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The central anniversary date is July 4, 2026, exactly 250 years after the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776.
The commemoration is commonly branded America250 and is organized through the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, a nonpartisan federal commission established by Congress in 2016. The celebration follows the United States Bicentennial of 1976 and precedes the nation’s tricentennial in 2076.
The term can be confusing because “semiquincentennial” is less familiar than “centennial” or “bicentennial.” It combines “semi,” meaning half, with “quincentennial,” meaning a 500th anniversary. Other historical terms exist, but “United States Semiquincentennial” is the name used for the national 2026 commemoration.