Juneteenth, a new annual federal holiday created by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on June 17, 2021, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.  Although this year marks the first time Juneteenth is recognized as a federal holiday, it has been celebrated annually since June 19, 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure that all enslaved people be freed as stipulated by the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.