What is the traditional name for the United States’ 250th anniversary, celebrated by America250 in 2026?

The traditional name for the United States’ 250th anniversary, celebrated by America250 in 2026, is the Semiquincentennial.

The word combines Latin-derived parts meaning “half” and “five hundred,” producing a term for a 250-year anniversary. It follows the naming pattern used for other major anniversaries, such as a centennial for 100 years and a bicentennial for 200 years.

The Semiquincentennial commemorates the 250th anniversary of the 1776 Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United States as an independent nation. America250 is the public-facing name associated with the national commemoration, while “United States Semiquincentennial” is the formal historical term.

A common mix-up is calling the event a “quasquicentennial,” a term sometimes used for a 125th anniversary. The 2026 observance is also distinct from the U.S. Bicentennial, which marked 200 years in 1976.