The United States will mark its 250th anniversary, or semiquincentennial, on July 4, 2026.
The anniversary commemorates the Second Continental Congress adopting the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Because 250 years equals five groups of 50 years, the occasion is commonly called the semiquincentennial. Other names include sestercentennial and quarter millennium.
The 250th anniversary is tied to the Declaration rather than the later creation of the Constitution or the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The Constitution was written in 1787, while fighting had already begun in 1775.
The previous major national anniversary was the bicentennial in 1976, which marked 200 years since 1776. The next centennial milestone after 2026 will be the tricentennial in 2076.