What term names the United States’ 250th anniversary, celebrated by the America250 initiative?

The United States’ 250th anniversary, celebrated by the America250 initiative, is called the United States Semiquincentennial.

The anniversary commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and is observed nationally in 2026. The term “semiquincentennial” combines “semi,” meaning half, with “quincentennial,” meaning a 500th anniversary. In this context, it identifies a 250-year milestone.

The celebration follows the United States Bicentennial in 1976, which marked 200 years since the Declaration of Independence. It is distinct from the United States sesquicentennial, the 150th anniversary observed in 1926, and from a future tricentennial, which would mark 300 years. America250 is the national initiative associated with planning and promoting the 2026 commemoration. The anniversary’s central date is July 4, 2026, exactly 250 years after the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.