Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony2026 · Date · History
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum maintains an annual April 19 Remembrance Ceremony and NPS anchors the memorial scope. Proclamation 6880 designated April 19, 1996 as a one-time National Day of Remembrance; it is not treated as creating a recurring federal holiday.
About Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony
The Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony is marked on April 19 in remembrance of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and the people affected by it.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum currently conducts an annual Remembrance Ceremony; its 2026 program was the 31st annual ceremony.
Why Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony matters
The observance centers remembrance of the 168 people who were killed, along with survivors, first responders and others changed by the bombing.
Coverage should remain solemn, non-graphic and respectful of victims, families and survivors rather than turning the anniversary into spectacle.
History of Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony
The bombing occurred in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.
President Bill Clinton issued Proclamation 6880 on April 5, 1996, proclaiming April 19, 1996 as a National Day of Remembrance of the Oklahoma City Bombing and requesting a moment of silence at 9:02 a.m. Central Daylight Time.
That 1996 proclamation applied to that specific first-anniversary date; it is not treated here as evidence of a recurring federal holiday.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum continues an annual April 19 Remembrance Ceremony; the 2026 ceremony was identified as the 31st annual observance and included 168 seconds of silence and the reading of 168 names.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
National Day of Remembrance of the Oklahoma City Bombing
President Bill Clinton’s Proclamation 6880 designated April 19, 1996 for national remembrance on the first anniversary. The current annual Memorial ceremony is documented separately and the proclamation is not treated as creating a recurring federal holiday.
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
The Memorial currently publishes and conducts the annual April 19 Remembrance Ceremony.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
7 fields not established in reviewed sources
Predecessor and precursor observances
Earlier or merged observances are kept separate from former names and later institutional actions.
Also known as
National Oklahoma City Bombing Commemoration Day
How to Observe Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony
Observe the Memorial’s requested silence or another quiet act of remembrance if you choose to participate.
Learn through the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum or National Park Service rather than relying on graphic or sensationalized material.
Respect reserved spaces, family/survivor access rules and ceremony instructions when attending in person.
For children or people affected by traumatic material, choose age-appropriate, non-graphic educational resources and allow people to opt out of participation.
Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony Facts
The bombing occurred on April 19, 1995.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum holds an annual Remembrance Ceremony on April 19.
The 2026 event was described by the Memorial as the 31st annual ceremony.
President Clinton proclaimed April 19, 1996 as a one-time National Day of Remembrance through Proclamation 6880.
The one-time 1996 presidential proclamation is not treated as establishing a recurring federal holiday.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
GovInfo — Proclamation 6880 (1996) (opens in a new tab)
Federal Record
National Park Service — Oklahoma City National Memorial (opens in a new tab)
Federal Agency
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum — 31st Annual Remembrance Ceremony (opens in a new tab)
Official Memorial
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum — Remembrance Ceremony (opens in a new tab)
Official Memorial
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony?
19 April annually; the 31st anniversary was 19 April 2026 The documented recurrence rule is: 19 April.
Does Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Oklahoma City bombing remembrance; the canonical “National ... Commemoration Day” title is not treated as a federal holiday designation. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony?
The documented basis is: The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum maintains an annual April 19 Remembrance Ceremony and NPS anchors the memorial scope. Proclamation 6880 designated April 19, 1996 as a one-time National Day of Remembrance; it is not treated as creating a recurring federal holiday.. Supporting evidence includes National Park Service — Oklahoma City National Memorial. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary / Annual Remembrance Ceremony international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: Oklahoma City bombing remembrance; the canonical “National ... Commemoration Day” title is not treated as a federal holiday designation. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-29.
When is the Oklahoma City Bombing anniversary remembrance?
The annual remembrance is held on April 19, the anniversary of the April 19, 1995 bombing.
Who organizes the current annual Remembrance Ceremony?
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum organizes the current annual ceremony.
Was there a presidential National Day of Remembrance?
Yes. President Bill Clinton proclaimed April 19, 1996 as a National Day of Remembrance of the Oklahoma City Bombing through Proclamation 6880.
Is that 1996 proclamation a recurring federal holiday?
Proclamation 6880 designated April 19, 1996 specifically; it does not state that it creates a recurring federal holiday.
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