America 250
2026 marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Leading up to the July 4th anniversary, the country is celebrating 'America250' by honoring the milestones that got us here.
U.S. Mint produces a $1 coin bearing Trump’s face to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday
The U.S. Mint has begun producing a new $1 coin bearing President Donald Trump’s face to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.
Trump unveils Freedom 250: IndyCars to race past Capitol, National Mall in August
President Trump announced Monday that IndyCars will race through the streets of Washington — including down Pennsylvania Avenue and around the National Mall — in a free two-day event next month marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Pope urges U.S. to recommit to founding ideas of protecting life, human dignity on 250th anniversary
Pope Leo XIV prayed Friday for the United States to recommit itself to its founding ideals of protecting life and human dignity as he participated remotely in an event on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Philadelphia cancels Independence Day parade as heat complicates 250th birthday celebrations
Philadelphia canceled its Independence Day parade on Friday, a victim of heat gripping the eastern U.S. and hurting America’s 250th birthday.
Sold out: Kennedy Center’s rooftop July 4th fireworks packages go for as much as $25,000
The Kennedy Center sold out of tickets to watch the Fourth of July fireworks from its rooftop terrace, including a ticket package at $25,000.
Trump urges Americans to check out American Revolution statue exhibit in the heart of Washington
President Trump on Friday announced the opening of a “Spirit of ‘76” exhibit on Freedom Plaza in the nation’s capital.
Extreme heat bears down as America 250 celebrations ramp up. Trump heads to Mount Rushmore
Festivities commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence from Great Britain kick into higher gear across the United States on Friday as celebrations are balanced with efforts to stay safe as much of the country bakes under extreme heat.
Britain’s National Archives finds copy of Declaration of Independence in captured U.S. ship’s papers
Michael Scurr has been volunteering at Britain’s National Archives for the last 11 years, spending his Thursday mornings painstakingly cataloging documents for the benefit of future researchers.
WATCH: Sec. Hegseth thanks National Guard as he highlights D.C.’s ‘Safe and Beautiful’ task force
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joined members of the National Guard Thursday to highlight the work of the Trump administration’s D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force as the city kicks off the 250th anniversary celebrations.
WATCH: Inside the Federal Circuit’s hidden history ahead of America 250
Just in time for America’s 250th celebration, Circuit Librarian Jessica Perovich and Chief Judge Kimberly Moore join Washington Times reporter Mary McCue Bell to detail the courthouse’s surprising ties to history ahead of a rare, one-day public opening on July 3rd.
America at 250 should heed Reagan’s Independence Day lesson
On July 4, 1986, President Ronald Reagan gave one of the most powerful addresses of his career.
Hot dogs for history: July 4 competition to feature America250 flair
The Fourth of July hot dog-eating contest at New York’s Coney Island has been eagerly awaiting the nation’s 250th birthday, with plans to up patriotism as competitors down the beef and buns.
Let go of America’s darker moments
America’s 250th anniversary should be a celebration that unifies the nation.
America at 250: The United States has been blessed
It’s been said that to be born in America is to win the lottery of life - and I couldn’t agree more.
74 things to do in Washington, D.C. this Independence Day weekend: July 3-5
Fireworks, Founding-era festivities and patriotic performances headline an Independence Day weekend packed with ways to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary in and around the nation’s capital.
Washington Monument will look like a birthday candle for America’s 250th
The Washington Monument is once again turning into “America’s tallest birthday candle” through a Freedom 250 light display.
From refrigerators to rock ‘n’ roll — America marks 250 years of unsung inventions
Americans created airplanes, computer chips, the internet and automobile assembly lines across 250 years of industry — but they’ve also invented unheralded gems such as refrigerators, barcodes, washing machines and Doppler radar.
The idea of separating church and state has deep religious and secular roots
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The United States of America unrecognizable at 250
Many of us who monitor federal excess are fearful of out-of-control democracy, which is what we have in America today.
America at 250: Declaration’s self-evident truths need defending again
Two hundred and fifty years ago, self-evident truths meant something.
Hamilton, Jefferson and Trump: Historians see a founding-era playbook still at work
As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday, some historians say President Trump’s emphasis on states’ rights, national self-sufficiency, “America First” foreign policy and a revival of manufacturing harks back to the vision of America’s Founding Fathers.
Happy birthday to the United States of America. What happens next?
As we wander toward Independence Day, a lot of politicians will mention President Lincoln’s description of the United States as “the last, best hope for mankind.”
When treason became a nation: The story of July 4, 1776
Nearly 250 years ago, 56 men gathered in the Pennsylvania State House. The date: July 4, 1776.
Americans step out for their nation’s 250th in a proud moment sown with division and doubt
One of the stars of the American firmament once advised citizens of all stripes how to express their love of country. Mark Twain’s long-ago words capture how Americans are stepping out this week to wish their nation a happy milestone birthday.
The PR campaign that sold America on independence
This Fourth of July commemorates the 250th anniversary of American independence, but it also marks the end of the most successful public relations campaign of all time.
50 Cent set to perform at Trump Jr.’s exclusive D.C. club on eve of America’s 250th anniversary
Rapper 50 Cent is scheduled to headline a Friday performance at Executive Branch, Donald Trump Jr.’s members-only club in D.C., on the eve of America’s semiquincentennial celebrations. The appearance represents a notable reversal for the rapper, who said in October 2024 that he had declined a $3 million offer to perform at the president’s rally at Madison Square Garden.
America at 250 should celebrate founders, freedom and Mel Brooks
July Fourth is the day we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
George Washington goes digital to tour U.S. aboard Trump’s ‘Freedom Trucks’
President Trump’s mobile museums commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, dubbed “Freedom Trucks,” are rolling out and traversing the nation.
A 250th birthday salute to America’s rich, complex chess legacy
We’ve had nearly 250 years of trying, but it’s still hard to pin down an identifiable “American” style of chess.
Heads up: a rare ‘July 4th’ quarter is making its way into circulation for America’s 250th
Thomas Jefferson, the face of the nickel, is now the face of 250,000 special quarters the United States Mint is releasing to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
66 things to do in (and around) Washington, D.C. this weekend: June 26-28
Whether you’re looking to get an early start in celebrating America’s 250th birthday, catch live music under the stars, browse local markets or escape into a museum’s air-conditioned galleries, the Washington area has no shortage of ways to spend the final weekend of June.
Uniting the states: Great American State Fair delivers star-spangled showcase
The opening of the Great American State Fair on Thursday offered a coast-to-coast showcase of the nation’s unique cultures and traditions as the United States was just days away from celebrating its 250th anniversary.
The U.S. founders’ other revolutionary choice: Separating religion and government
Did the founders of the United States intend to create a Christian nation? Political leaders who addressed a prayer rally on the National Mall on May 17, 2026, seem to think so.
250 years in, Americans trust their doctor far more than their government
Trust in the federal government hasn’t really improved — it’s just flipped sides.
Trump mixes politics, patriotism to kick off the ‘Great American State Fair’
President Trump kicked off a 16-day celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary with a political-style rally on the National Mall in Washington.
U.S. at 250 should remember Declaration’s self-evident truths
As the Fourth of July nears, it is a fitting time to recall the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.
How Americans are feeling about the country’s 250th anniversary, according to new polls
Duane Mitchell has big plans for America’s 250th anniversary.
‘Exactly where you’re sitting’: Revolutionary War taverns toast 250, tell tales from history
As you make your way around the wood-paneled interior of the Old ‘76 House tavern, you might notice an upside-down portrait of Benedict Arnold on a back wall.
Trump is the frontman for his own party as rival groups vie to shape America’s 250th anniversary
That unifying theme is being tested as the anniversary celebrations intensify in the coming weeks with Trump giving himself central billing.
Red, white and blue: A strategy for survival as Native Americans navigate 250 years of history
Swiftly marching toward westward expansion, the United States in the 1800s brought with it a tidal wave of displacement and cultural suppression for Native Americans.
Most Americans see freedoms under threat but core to nation’s identity, AP-NORC poll finds
Most Americans believe civil liberties like the right to vote are under threat, according to a new AP-NORC poll, while also continuing to agree that the rights expressed in the nation’s founding documents are still core to American identity.
Jefferson changed the trajectory of history
This July 4, the Declaration of Independence turns 250 years old. It is a moment for quiet reflection, loud celebration and pursuing, with everything we have, all that is promised in it.
Foiled plot targeting UFC event at White House meant to set off revolution by killing Trump
A plot to unleash explosive drones and sniper fire at the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House was meant to “jump-start” a revolution by killing President Trump and other top political figures, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes hit with lawsuit
A handful of Washington preservation organizations are suing the Trump administration over President Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes — a massive outdoor complex planned to feature 250 larger-than-life statues of notable American figures.
