Juneteenth Countdown

June 19, 1865 — freedom announced, two and a half years late.

How many days until Juneteenth?

Live countdown to Juneteenth 2027

About Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Celebrations include parades, readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, and family reunions.

The story behind Juneteenth

The date is a story of delayed news. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect January 1, 1863 — but Texas, the most remote Confederate state with the fewest Union troops, enforced nothing. On June 19, 1865, some 2,000 Union soldiers landed at Galveston and announced that all enslaved people were free, more than two years later.

The freed community of Galveston celebrated that same night, and the following year the first "Jubilee Day" was held. The name "Juneteenth" — a blend of June and nineteen — appeared by the 1890s, and the celebration became an annual reunion and pilgrimage for Black Texans.

The modern push succeeded spectacularly: in 2021, Juneteenth became the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983 — signed into law 156 years after the Galveston announcement.

Juneteenth dates 2027–2030

Juneteenth facts

• Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when Union troops announced emancipation in Galveston, Texas — the last enslaved Americans to hear the news.
• It became a federal holiday in 2021, the newest US federal holiday.
• The traditional celebration food is red velvet cake and red drinks, symbolizing resilience.
• It is sometimes called 'America's second Independence Day'.