What holiday is on June 19? What is Juneteenth and when did it become a federal holiday?
The country is marking its newest federal holiday today.
Mason Reed 
Today, June 19, the nation observes Juneteenth, a holiday dedicated to commemorating one of the final significant moments of emancipation in the United States.
A Historic Milestone
As the country's newest federal holiday, Juneteenth serves as a powerful reminder of the day in 1865 when tens of thousands of African Americans in Texas finally learned they were free, effectively marking the conclusion of a dark chapter in American history.
READ MORE: What’s closed Friday for America’s newest federal holiday?
The Origins of Juneteenth
The roots of the holiday trace back to Galveston, Texas. It was there, on June 19, 1865, that Union soldiers led by Major Gen. Gordon Granger arrived with the transformative news that the Civil War had concluded and that slaves were legally free.
This monumental announcement arrived two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. While Lincoln's executive order aimed to free enslaved individuals in Confederate states, it was largely ignored throughout the war. It was not until the conflict ended that the order could be fully enforced across the South.
General Order Number 3
During his arrival, Major Gen. Granger personally read General Order Number 3 to the public, stating: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.”
A Lasting Legacy
The name Juneteenth is a blend of the words "June" and "nineteenth." While the term first appeared around 1903, the day is also widely recognized as Emancipation Day or African American Freedom Day.
Though celebrations occurred sporadically for decades, the day gained renewed prominence during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. On June 17, 2021, Juneteenth officially became a federal holiday after President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.
