What anniversary did the United States Semiquincentennial celebrate in 2026?

The United States Semiquincentennial celebrated the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026.

The anniversary counted from 1776, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Lee Resolution and the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed. The central anniversary date was July 4, 2026, exactly 250 years after July 4, 1776. America250 was the public campaign identity associated with the nationwide commemoration.

This anniversary is specifically about independence, not the later ratification of the Constitution. The Constitution was drafted and signed in 1787, eleven years after the Declaration, so its 250th anniversary will occur in 2037. The 2026 celebration also differed from the 1976 bicentennial, which marked 200 years, and from the 1926 sesquicentennial, which marked 150 years.