The United States Semiquincentennial commemorated the Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026.
July 4 is the date traditionally associated with the Declaration because the Second Continental Congress adopted the document on July 4, 1776. The anniversary therefore fell exactly 250 years later, in 2026. The semiquincentennial is also called America’s 250th anniversary or America250.
The independence vote itself occurred earlier. Congress passed the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, declaring the United Colonies independent from Great Britain. The Declaration, largely drafted by Thomas Jefferson, was approved on July 4 and later engrossed and signed by delegates.
The date is sometimes confused with July 2 because of the independence vote, or with August 2, the date commonly associated with the signing of the engrossed document. America250’s principal national anniversary date was July 4, 2026.