The United States observed the 250th anniversary of its independence on July 4, 2026.
July 4 is the traditional date associated with American independence because the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on that day in 1776. The date became the annual Independence Day holiday and was also selected for the semiquincentennial observance.
A common historical mix-up concerns July 2. On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress passed the Lee Resolution, declaring that the colonies were independent of Great Britain. The Declaration itself was adopted in its final form on July 4 and then publicly announced.
The 2026 anniversary therefore connected a modern national celebration with the date printed on the original declaration. It followed the 200th-anniversary United States Bicentennial in 1976 and preceded the 300th anniversary, which will fall in 2076.