What is the formal historical name for America’s 250th-anniversary observance?
Answer
United States Semiquincentennial
The formal historical name for America’s 250th-anniversary observance is the United States Semiquincentennial.
The word semiquincentennial combines “semi,” meaning half, with “quincentennial,” meaning a 500th anniversary. It therefore describes a 250-year anniversary. The observance commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and is widely branded as America250.
The United States Semiquincentennial Commission was established by Congress in 2016 to help plan the national commemoration. The initiative includes federal and nonfederal partners, as well as commissions representing states and territories.
The event is sometimes described informally as America’s 250th birthday, but “United States Semiquincentennial” is the specific historical term. “Bicentennial” refers to 200 years, so it describes the 1976 celebration instead.