06/19/2026
Juneteenth National Independence Day is an annual observance on June 19 that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
The holiday's name combines "June" and "Nineteenth," marking the date in 1865 when Union troops reached Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. After initial celebrations by Texas communities in 1866, the date was officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.
Learn more about the holiday, including original historical records, at archives.gov/news/topics/juneteenth