On what date was America's 250th anniversary, known as America250, observed?

America's 250th anniversary, known as America250, was observed on July 4, 2026.

The date marks 250 years since the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The anniversary is therefore tied to the founding document's adoption date, rather than to the later date when most delegates signed the parchment copy.

The celebration is called the United States Semiquincentennial. The word refers to a 250th anniversary, or half of a five-century span. America250 is the public-facing name associated with the national commemoration, which was planned as a successor in scale to the 1976 bicentennial.

A common mix-up concerns the Declaration's signing. Most historians place the primary signing of the engrossed parchment on August 2, 1776, although July 4 is the date Congress adopted the Declaration and the date used for the national anniversary.