The United States Army was established on June 14, 1775, exactly 250 years before its America250-linked birthday parade.
The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The modern United States Army traces its institutional lineage to that force, which organized the colonies’ military effort before the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776.
June 14 is also observed annually as the United States Army’s birthday. Because the date falls in the same month as Flag Day, Army birthday events and national patriotic programs can overlap, but they commemorate different things. Flag Day recalls the adoption of the United States flag, while the Army birthday recalls the branch’s establishment.
The 2025 parade was not the nation’s 250th anniversary itself. It marked the Army’s separate quarter-millennium and served as an early event associated with the larger 2026 semiquincentennial celebration. This distinction helps prevent confusion between the Army’s founding date and the Declaration of Independence date.