2026 in the United States
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The following is a list of events of the year 2026 in the United States, as well as predicted and scheduled events that have not yet occurred.
2026 is the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States from the British Empire.[1] The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Incumbents
[edit]Federal government
[edit]- President: Donald Trump (R-Florida)
- Vice President: JD Vance (R-Ohio)
- Chief Justice: John Roberts (Maryland)
- Speaker of the House of Representatives: Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana)
- Senate Majority Leader: John Thune (R-South Dakota)
- Congress: 119th
State governments
[edit]Elections
[edit]The midterm elections are scheduled to be held on November 3. In the federal government, the offices up for election are all 435 seats of the House of Representatives, and roughly one third of the Senate. Most states and territories will hold elections for their governors and legislatures.
In the Senate, nine senators have announced their intention not to seek re-election this cycle, including five Republicans and four Democrats. Republican seats in Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio are seen as vulnerable, while Democrats will be defending seats in Georgia, Michigan, and New Hampshire.[2] In the House, numerous states have redrawn their congressional districts ahead of the election, with Republicans attempting to strengthen their narrow margins.[3]
On the state level, 38 states and three territories will hold gubernatorial elections, and most states and territories will hold elections for their legislatures. Many major cities, including Long Beach, Los Angeles, Louisville, Newark, Oakland, Oklahoma City, St. Petersburg, and Washington, D.C., will also elect their mayors and municipal governments.
Events
[edit]January
[edit]
- January 1
- Zohran Mamdani is sworn in as the 112th Mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim and the first Asian American to hold the city's highest office.[4]
- Public Domain Day: Books, films, and other works published in 1930 enter the public domain.[5]
- January 3 – 2026 United States strikes in Venezuela: President Trump announces the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following a large-scale air strike.[6]
- January 4 – 31st Critics' Choice Awards: One Battle After Another and its director Paul Thomas Anderson win Best Picture and Best Director respectively. Films Frankenstein and Sinners and television series Adolescence all top the charts with four awards each.[7][8]
- January 5
- Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife appear in a federal court in Manhattan and plead not guilty to drugs and weapon charges.[9]
- New coins celebrating the Semiquincentennial, featuring pilgrims, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, begin circulating.[10]
- Tim Walz announces he will not seek reelection as governor amidst political attacks and the Minnesota fraud scandal.[11]
- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting votes to dissolve itself.[12]
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rewrites its childhood vaccine schedule, reducing the number of shots universally recommended from 17 to 11.[13]
- January 7
- Killing of Renée Good: An American woman is shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[14]
- Trump announces that the United States will withdraw from 66 international organisations, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.[15]
- Somalia–United States relations: The State Department suspends all ongoing assistance programs to Somalia.[16]
- 2026 Salt Lake City church shooting: Two people are killed and six others are injured in a mass shooting during a funeral at a LDS Church meetinghouse in Salt Lake City, Utah.[17][18]
- January 8 – The Senate votes 52–47 to advance a resolution that would bar the president from taking further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. It will now pass to the House of Representatives.[19]
- January 10 – 2025–26 measles outbreak: North Carolina experiences a surge in measles over the past week, with cases rising to 310 in the state alone. Nearly 2,500 are reported nationally.[20]
- January 11
- Federal prosecutors open a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell over the testimony he gave to a Senate committee about renovations to Federal Reserve buildings.[21]
- Low-cost airline Allegiant Air purchases Sun Country Airlines for $1.5 billion.[22][23]
- Three inmates are killed, thirteen others are hospitalized, and a guard is injured when violence breaks out at the Washington State Prison in Davisboro, Georgia.[24]
- January 13
- The Trump administration designates the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Islamic Group in Lebanon, and the Islamic Action Front in Jordan as foreign terrorist organizations for their support of Hamas.[25]
- Meta announces the closure of the studios Armature Studio, Sanzaru Games, and Twisted Pixel.[26] In addition, they announced more than 1,000 jobs would be laid off in their Reality Labs business.[27]
- January 14 – A Verizon outage affects at least 175,000 people.[28]
- January 16 – Trump announces that he may place tariffs on nations that refuse to accept his plan to annex Greenland.[29]
- January 17 – Trump confirms that European countries will be hit with a 10% tariff on "all or any goods" exported to the US from 1 February, amid the dispute over Greenland.[30]
- January 19 – The Indiana Hoosiers defeat the Miami Hurricanes 27–21 in the College Football Playoff National Championship, winning their first national title, also being the first football team to go 16-0 since the Yale Bulldogs in 1894.[31]
- January 20 – A surge in immigration enforcement begins in Maine, primarily in the cities of Lewiston and Portland. The operation is titled "Operation Catch of the Day".[32]
- January 22
- The United States officially leaves the World Health Organization.[33]
- Trump's Executive Order 14253 is carried out, removing exhibits commemorating the history of slavery in the United States at the President's House.[34]
- January 23 – The Office of Foreign Assets Control imposes sanctions on British-Palestinian activist Zaher Birawi, alleging that he has ties with Hamas.[35]
- January 23–26 – A major winter storm and cold wave strikes the United States, impacting over 30 states and killing at least 85 people, with over 15 states of emergency being declared.[36][37][38]
- January 24
- Trump threatens Canada with 100% tariffs on all goods if the country's prime minister Mark Carney strikes a trade deal with China.[39]
- Killing of Alex Pretti: A 37-year-old man is shot and killed by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[40]
- One person is killed and 14 others are injured in a gas explosion and multiple-alarm fire at a 17-story apartment building in the Bronx, New York City.[41]
- January 25
- Over a million people are without power across the South and at least 10,000 flights are canceled due to the winter storm.[42]
- Six people are killed when a Bombardier Challenger 650 aircraft crashes at Bangor International Airport in Maine.[43]
- January 27 – Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is attacked during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis when an audience member sprays a chemical substance at her. A 55-year-old man is arrested and charged with third-degree assault, while Omar herself is uninjured.[44]
- January 28 – Amazon announces 16,000 job layoffs in its second round of corporate reduction.[45]
- January 29 – Journalist and former CNN host Don Lemon is arrested by federal authorities after he took part in a protest inside a church in St. Paul, Minnesota earlier in the month.[46]
- January 30
- 2026 United States general strike
- Three million pages related to the Epstein Files, including 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, are released to the public, implicating many high profile public figures worldwide.[47]
- Killing of Brian Thompson: United States federal judge Margaret Garnett dismisses the federal murder and weapon charges against Luigi Mangione in the killing of Brian Thompson, the former CEO of UnitedHealthcare, ruling out the death penalty against Mangione. The judge maintains the stalking charges, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.[48]
- January 31
- Five people, including a 6-year-old, are wounded in a shooting at the Mardi Gras parade in Clinton, Louisiana.[49]
- Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, is abducted from her home in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson, Arizona.[50][51][52]
- A federal government shutdown begins.[53]
February
[edit]- February 1 – The 68th Annual Grammy Awards are held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, honoring the best in music from September 2024 to August 2025.[54] "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA wins Record of the Year while Debí Tirar Más Fotos by Bad Bunny wins Album of the Year, the first Spanish-language album to do so.[55][56] Kendrick Lamar wins five awards and surpasses Jay-Z as the most awarded hip-hop artist in Grammy Awards history.[57]
- February 3 – The government shutdown ends with a bill that funds DHS for two weeks.[58]
- February 4
- The Central Intelligence Agency announces it will no longer publish The World Factbook.[59]
- Decline of newspapers: The Washington Post announces 300 journalist layoffs, roughly one-third of its employees, as part of a major restructuring.[60]
- February 5
- The New START treaty limiting strategic nuclear weapons with Russia expires.[61]
- Three people are killed and seven others are injured when a car crashes into a 99 Ranch Market in Westwood, Los Angeles, California.[62]
- February 6 – President Trump is condemned by politicians from both sides for sharing a video on social media which includes a racist clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.[63]
Predicted and scheduled events
[edit]- February 8 – Super Bowl LX is scheduled to be played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.[64]
- February 24 – Trump will deliver his first official State of the Union Address of his second term to a joint session of Congress.[65]
- March 5 to 17 – The 2026 World Baseball Classic is scheduled to be held in the United States, including Puerto Rico, as well as in Japan. The championship game will be held at LoanDepot Park in Miami.[66]
- March 15 – The 98th Academy Awards are scheduled to be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best in films released in 2025. Ryan Coogler's Sinners is nominated for 16 awards, breaking the three-way-tied record jointly set by All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land.[67][68]
- April – Artemis program: NASA is scheduled to launch Artemis II, the first crewed mission of the Orion in which four astronauts (Reid Wiseman, Victor J. Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen) will perform a flyby of the Moon and return to Earth.[69]
- April 6 – The 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament final will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
- June 1 to 3 – The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities sesquicentennial (150th annual) meeting is scheduled to be held in Chicago.
- June 11 to July 19 – The United States will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico and will host the majority of games during the tournament, including all games past the quarterfinals of the knockout stage including the final, which will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
- June 14 – The UFC White House is scheduled to be held on the South Lawn of the White House.[70]
- July 4 – The United States will celebrate its 250th birthday as a nation.[71]
- August 12 – A total solar eclipse is predicted to occur at the Moon's descending node of the orbit in North America and Europe. The total eclipse will pass over the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean and northern Spain.[72]
- November 3 – The 2026 United States midterm elections are scheduled to be held.[73]
See also
[edit]- 2026 deaths in the US
- 2026 in American music
- 2026 in American television
- List of American films of 2026
- List of animated feature films of 2026
- 2026 NFL season
- 2026–27 NHL season
- 2026–27 NBA season
- 2026 Major League Baseball season
References
[edit]- ^ Dupree, Jamie (July 3, 2016). "What do you call July 4, 2026?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. ISSN 1539-7459. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ Browning, Kellen (January 5, 2026). "The Key Senate Races to Watch in 2026". The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ^ Lieb, David (January 7, 2026). "Trump urged mid-decade redistricting. One-third of states have now looked at reshaping House seats". ABC News. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ^ Helmore, Edward (January 1, 2026). "Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
- ^ Jenkins, Jennifer. "Public Domain Day 2026". Center for the Study of Public Domain. Duke University School of Law. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ "Trump says US has 'captured' Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife in 'large-scale strike'". BBC News. January 3, 2026. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ^ Lang, Brent (January 4, 2026). "Critics Choice Awards 2026: 'One Battle After Another' Wins Best Film, 'The Pitt', 'Adolescence' and 'The Studio' Dominate TV Prizes". Variety. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 4, 2026). "Critics Choice Awards: 'One Battle After Another' Wins Best Picture As Paul Thomas Anderson Takes Best Director; Chalamet & Buckley Win Top Acting Prizes; 'Sinners', 'Frankenstein' & 'Adolescence' Lead With 4 Each". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ^ "'I'm a prisoner of war' - In the room for Maduro's dramatic court hearing". BBC News. January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ^ Horsley, Scott (January 5, 2026). "New redesigned coins marking nation's 250th birthday begin circulating today". KUOW-FM. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ^ Bauder, David (January 5, 2026). "Corporation for Public Broadcasting votes itself out of existence". Associated Press. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- "Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board Votes to Dissolve Organization in Act of Responsible Stewardship to Protect the Future of Public Media" (Press release). Corporation for Public Broadcasting. January 5, 2026.
- ^ "US cuts universal childhood vaccine recommendations, including covid and hepatitis". BBC News. January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ^ "Minneapolis driver shot and killed by ICE officer during immigration-related operation, DHS says". NBC News. January 7, 2026. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ^ "Outrage as Trump withdraws from key UN climate treaty along with dozens of international organisations". The Guardian. January 8, 2026. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ^ Lee, Matthew (January 7, 2026). "US suspends assistance to Somalia's federal government, alleging it seized food aid". Associated Press. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ^ Sinkewicz, Michael (January 8, 2026). "Shooting outside Salt Lake City LDS church leaves at least 2 dead, 6 injured: police". FOX News. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ^ Schoenbaum, Hannah (January 8, 2026). "2 killed in a shooting outside a Mormon church in Salt Lake City". Associated Press. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ^ "US Senate votes to curb military action in Venezuela, Trump says oversight could last years". Reuters. January 9, 2026. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ^ Matthews, Brad (January 10, 2026). "South Carolina measles outbreak reaches 310 cases". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
- ^ "Fed chair Powell hits out at 'unprecedented' probe by US justice department". BBC News. January 12, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
- ^ Small, Jonathan (January 12, 2026). Thomas, Jessica (ed.). "Allegiant Is Buying Sun Country for $1.5 Billion to Become 'More Competitive'". Entrepreneur. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
- ^ "Allegiant to acquire Sun Country Airlines for $1.5 billion". Reuters. January 12, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
- ^ Blankenship, Grant (January 12, 2026). "Three dead and a dozen hospitalized after violence at Georgia's Washington State Prison". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ Hussein, Fatima; Lee, Matthew (January 13, 2026). "Trump administration labels 3 Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations". Associated Press. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ Romano, Sal (January 13, 2026). "Meta shuts down Armature Studio, Sanzaru Games, and Twisted Pixel". Gematsu. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
- ^ Wagner, Kurt (January 13, 2026). "Meta Begins Jobs Cuts as It Shifts from Metaverse to AI Devices". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
- ^ Hutchinson, Bill (January 14, 2026). "Verizon outage affecting thousands of customers". ABC News. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Trump threatens new tariffs on countries opposed to Greenland takeover". BBC News. January 16, 2026. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
- ^ "Trump announces plan to hit UK, Denmark and other European countries with extra tariffs over Greenland". BBC News. BBC. January 17, 2026. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
- ^ Russo, Ralph (January 19, 2026). "Indiana completes one of sport's most astonishing turnarounds with first national title". The Athletic. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
- ^ Rego, Max (January 21, 2026). "Nearly 50 people arrested in federal immigration enforcement surge in Maine". The Hill. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ^ "United States Completes WHO Withdrawal". HHS.gov. January 23, 2026. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
- ^ Fay, Laura; Jacobson, Scott (January 23, 2026). "Slavery displays removed from Philadelphia historical site after Trump directive". CBS News Philadelphia. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
- ^ Ball, Tom (January 22, 2026). "US sanctions British-based activist over alleged ties to Hamas". The Times. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
- ^ Corp, Pelmorex (January 22, 2026). "'Destructive' ice storm, snowfall threatens millions in U.S." The Weather Network. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
- ^ Davis, Sarah (January 23, 2026). "Emergency declarations issued in multiple states ahead of massive winter storm". The Hill. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
- ^ Deliso, Meredith (January 29, 2026). "At least 85 deaths reported as bitter cold grips South in wake of winter storm". ABC News.
- ^ "Trump threatens Canada with 100% tariffs over China trade deal". BBC News. BBC. January 24, 2026. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
- ^ "Federal agents shoot and kill person in Minnesota, officials say". NBC News. January 24, 2026. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
- ^ Prussin, Mark; Keleshian, Kristie (January 24, 2026). "Bronx fire leaves 1 dead, 15 injured, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani says". CBS News. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ Brumback, Kate; Walker, Julie (January 25, 2026). "Massive winter storm dumps sleet, freezing rain and snow around much of US". Associated Press. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ Muntean, Pete; Sottlle, Zoe; Skores, Alexander (January 26, 2026). "7 dead, 1 seriously injured in plane crash at airport in Bangor, Maine, FAA says". CNN. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ "'I don't let bullies win,' says US congresswoman Omar after substance thrown at her". BBC News. BBC. January 28, 2026. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ Nickelsburg, Monica (January 28, 2026). "Amazon lays off 16,000 employees in major reduction of force". KUOW. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ "Don Lemon arrested by federal authorities, his attorney says". NBC News. January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ "Millions of Jeffrey Epstein files released by US justice department". www.bbc.com. February 3, 2026. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Connor, Richard (January 30, 2026). "Federal judge drops murder rap in UnitedHealthcare CEO case". DW. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ "Shooting at Louisiana parade leaves 5 people wounded, including 6-year-old, sheriff says". Associated Press. January 31, 2026. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ "Disappearance of mother of Savannah Guthrie, NBC News anchor, investigated as a crime". www.bbc.com. February 2, 2026. Archived from the original on February 2, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ^ "'TODAY' Anchor Savannah Guthrie's Mom Abducted From Her Bed". TMZ. February 2, 2026. Archived from the original on February 3, 2026. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
- ^ "BREAKING: Savannah Guthrie's mother abducted while she slept, urgent search underway - CBS Miami". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
- ^ Heckman, Jory (January 30, 2026). "Agencies prepare for partial shutdown, as lawmakers look to minimize its impact". Federal News Network. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Aswad, Jem (June 12, 2025). "Grammy Awards Unveil Dates for 2026 Show and Nominations Announcement, New Categories — Including Best Album Cover". Variety. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ Luna, Itzel (February 1, 2026). "Kendrick Lamar overtakes Jay-Z as most-awarded rapper in Grammys history". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Sherman, Maria (February 1, 2026). "Bad Bunny wins album of the year at the 2026 Grammy Awards, a first for a Spanish-language album". Associated Press. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Franklin, Mckinley (February 1, 2026). "Kendrick Lamar Shatters Jay-Z's Record as Rapper With Most Grammy Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ^ Kapur, Sahil; Leach, Brennan (February 3, 2026). "Trump signs bill to end government shutdown and fund DHS for two weeks". NBC News. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Klepper, David (February 4, 2026). "CIA ends publication of its popular World Factbook reference tool". The Associated Press. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Kaye, Danielle (February 4, 2026). "Washington Post announces sweeping layoffs as it scales back news coverage". BBC News. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Antonov, Dmitry; Trevelyan, Mark (February 4, 2026). "As treaty expires, Russia says it's still ready to talk to US on nuclear limits". Reuters. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ "3 dead, multiple injured after car crashes into Los Angeles grocery store, LAFD says". ABC7 Los Angeles. February 5, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ "Trump shares video with racist clip depicting Obamas as apes". BBC News. BBC News. February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ Sherman, Alex; Young, Jabari (March 18, 2021). "NFL finalizes new 11-year media rights deal, Amazon gets exclusive Thursday Night rights". CNBC. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Hill, Meredith Lee (January 7, 2026). "Trump's State of the Union set for Feb. 24". Politico. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ^ Clair, Michael (May 23, 2024). "Tokyo, San Juan, Houston and Miami announced as World Baseball Classic 2026 hosts". MLB.com. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ Feinberg, Scott (March 17, 2025). "Oscars: Conan O'Brien to Return as Host in 2026". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ Canfield, David (January 22, 2026). "'Sinners' Gets Most Oscar Nominations Ever". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ^ Chang, Kenneth (December 5, 2024). "NASA Artemis Moon Missions Delayed Until 2026 and 2027". The New York Times. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- ^ Shakiel Mahjouri (August 29, 2025). "UFC CEO Dana White confirms event at White House is on after meeting with Trump administration". cbssports.com. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
- ^ "Welcome, 2026! Here are the landmark events that will happen in the new year". NBC News. January 1, 2026. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
- ^ Tara, Serena (November 17, 2023). "Forget 2024, It's Time to Start Planning for the 2026 Solar Eclipse". Thrillist. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ Schneid, Rebecca (December 30, 2025). "Here Are the Key Elections to Watch Out For in 2026". TIME Magazine. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
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