Short for “June Nineteenth,” the holiday marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed, on June 19, 1865, History.com says. The troops arrived with the news a full two-and-a-half years after the signing of the proclamation.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas found out they had been freed — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Though celebrated for hundreds of years in parts of the U.S., Juneteenth's history and significance have only recently gained massive national attention. The historic date was not recognized as a federal holiday until 2021,