America250 follows the 1976 Bicentennial as the United States’ next major 50-year milestone.
The 1976 Bicentennial commemorated 200 years since the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776. It was a nationwide celebration involving ceremonies, exhibitions, public works, redesigned stamps and coins, and extensive patriotic programming.
The 2026 observance adds another half-century to that anniversary sequence. Two hundred fifty years after 1776, the United States will mark its Semiquincentennial, commonly promoted under the name America250.
The numbering can cause confusion because “bicentennial” means 200 years, while “semiquincentennial” means 250 years. The next comparable milestone after 2026 will be the Tricentennial in 2076, marking 300 years since independence was declared.