On what date did the United States Semiquincentennial fall?

The United States Semiquincentennial fell on July 4, 2026. It marked 250 years since the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the event commemorated by the modern Independence Day holiday.

The date is calculated from July 4, 1776, when Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration. The earlier Lee Resolution, which formally declared the colonies independent from Great Britain, passed on July 2, but July 4 became the anniversary date because it was printed on the Declaration and celebrated publicly.

The name “semiquincentennial” refers to a 250th anniversary. Common mix-ups include July 2, the date of the independence resolution, and August 2, 1776, when most delegates are generally believed to have signed the engrossed parchment copy. July 4, 2026, was therefore the specific semiquincentennial date.