Juneteenth Countdown

Juneteenth falls on June 19 every year, commemorating the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas learned they were free. It became the newest federal holiday in 2021. This countdown automatically targets the next one.

How many days until Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is on Saturday, June 19, 2027, which is 323 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

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Juneteenth's story so far

1866The first anniversary observances of General Order No. 3 were held in Texas, including a documented Houston gathering with a parade, church services, and a communal meal.

1940s-1970sAs millions of Black Texans and Louisianans joined the second wave of the Great Migration to cities like Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, and San Francisco, they carried Juneteenth traditions with them, planting the holiday outside the South for the first time.

1971Milwaukee held its first Juneteenth Day celebration, a modest block party that grew into one of the country's longest continuously running Juneteenth festivals.

1979-1980A bill by Texas state representative Al Edwards made Juneteenth a paid state holiday, signed into law on June 7, 1979 and first observed in 1980 — making Texas the first state in the nation to do so.

2016At age 89, retired Fort Worth teacher Opal Lee set out on a symbolic 1,400-mile walk from Texas to Washington, D.C., part of a petition campaign for federal recognition that eventually gathered 1.5 million signatures.

2022South Dakota became the last state to establish Juneteenth as an official state holiday, completing recognition of the day across all 50 states.

Biggest and longest-running celebrations

Largest by attendanceThe Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade & Festival, launched in 2016 with about 5,000 attendees, now draws more than 25,000 people annually

Longest-running claimTwo cities compete for the title: San Francisco's Fillmore District festival, founded in 1945, and Milwaukee's Juneteenth Day, held annually since 1971 and billed by the city as the nation's oldest

Freedom's latest news

On June 19, 1865 — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation — Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and issued General Order No. 3, announcing that all enslaved people were free. Celebrations began in Texas the following year and spread across the country.

The newest federal holiday

After decades of state-level recognition and a national campaign energized in 2020, Juneteenth National Independence Day was signed into law on June 17, 2021 — the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. It's celebrated with cookouts, parades, music, red foods and drinks, and community readings of General Order No. 3.

Quick facts

Observed every June 19
Commemorates General Order No. 3, read in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865
Also called Freedom Day, Jubilee Day and America's Second Independence Day
Became the 11th federal holiday on June 17, 2021 — the first new one since 1983

A U.S. federal holiday

Juneteenth is one of the 11 official U.S. federal holidays. Not sure which one comes next? The next federal holiday countdown always ticks down to whichever is soonest — and the next long weekend countdown tells you when you're off work for 3 days straight.

Celebrate freedom

Flags, red drinks and cookout gear for America's second Independence Day.

Juneteenth flag Juneteenth shirts Books on Juneteenth Hibiscus tea (red drink) BBQ grill tool set Kids books on Juneteenth

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Learn more

National Museum of African American History & Culture Wikipedia

Juneteenth — frequently asked questions

When is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is on Saturday, June 19, 2027.

How many days until Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is on Saturday, June 19, 2027, which is 323 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

Updated July 2026 · alarm-clock.org

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