America’s 250th anniversary, marking the Declaration of Independence, occurred on July 4, 2026.
The date follows the Second Continental Congress’s adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The anniversary is commonly called the United States Semiquincentennial, because a semiquincentennial marks 250 years.
The celebration is sometimes described as America’s 250th birthday, although the United States developed through several revolutionary steps rather than one single event. Congress approved the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, and adopted the Declaration two days later. The Declaration announced the colonies’ separation and explained the reasons for it.
July 4 is therefore distinct from August 2, the date on which most delegates signed the engrossed parchment copy. It is also distinct from September 9, when Congress formally approved the name “United States of America.”