What is the formal historical term for the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026?
Answer
Semiquincentennial
The formal historical term for the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026 is semiquincentennial.
The word combines Latin-derived elements meaning half of five hundred, or 250. It is less familiar than bicentennial, which means 200 years, but it precisely describes the anniversary of the 1776 Declaration of Independence.
The term has several competing alternatives, including sestercentennial, quarter-millennium, and bisesquicentennial. Semiquincentennial is the name used in the official title of the United States Semiquincentennial and by the federal commemorative commission.
The naming sequence can be confusing. A centennial marks 100 years, a sesquicentennial marks 150, a bicentennial marks 200, and a tricentennial marks 300. America250 therefore sits between the Bicentennial of 1976 and the projected Tricentennial of 2076.