Five years ago, the nation recognized the first Juneteenth. It marks the day in 1965 when Union soldiers went to Galveston, Texas and told enslaved people they were free. It happened two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth celebrations took place across the U.S., commemorating the day in 1865 when enslaved Black people in Texas learned of their freedom. While long honored by Black Americans, the holiday has gained broader recognition since becoming a federal holiday in 2021 under President Joe Biden,

Also called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth falls annually on June 19, the date in 1865 when Union troops brought the news to enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, that they had been freed.