What is the commonly used name for the United States' 250th anniversary in 2026?
Answer
Semiquincentennial
The commonly used name for the United States' 250th anniversary in 2026 is the Semiquincentennial.
The term combines “semi,” meaning half, with “quincentennial,” meaning a 500th anniversary. Together, semiquincentennial describes 250 years, or half of five centuries. The anniversary commemorates the Second Continental Congress adopting the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
America250 is the name associated with the national commemorative effort. Other terms, including sestercentennial, quarter millennium, and bisesquicentennial, also appear in reference works, but semiquincentennial is the most commonly used official-style name. The previous major national anniversary was the bicentennial in 1976, marking 200 years.