What is the official term for the United States’ 250th anniversary being marked by America250?

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The official term for the United States’ 250th anniversary being marked by America250 is the United States Semiquincentennial.

“Semiquincentennial” combines Latin-derived parts meaning half of 500, or 250. It describes the anniversary of the 1776 Declaration of Independence rather than the founding of any single institution.

America250 is the common public branding for the national commemoration. The formal name appears in the title of the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, the federal body created to coordinate anniversary planning.

The celebration is sometimes called America’s 250th anniversary, the 250th anniversary of American independence, or the quarter-millennium. “Bicentennial” refers instead to the 200th anniversary celebrated in 1976.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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