Google Calendar has added Juneteenth as a holiday in the United States.
Juneteenth dates back to June 19th, 1865, when Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to read federal orders, freeing the last remaining slaves in the state. Celebrations of the holiday began as early as 1866 when freed slaves in Texas celebrated its first anniversary.
Google Calendar is not the first major calendar app to recognize Juneteenth as a US holiday. In 2018, some users noticed Apple added the day as a holiday on its calendar app. The addition to Google Calendar was spotted by Android Police.
In response to protests against racism and police brutality across the US, many private companies announced that they would start celebrating Juneteenth in some capacity. Both Google and Amazon instructed their employees to cancel meetings on Juneteenth. Other companies, including Nike, Twitter, and Square, announced that Juneteenth would be a paid holiday for employees.
Despite its significance in US history, the federal government has not designated Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Currently, most states have recognized Juneteenth as a holiday or a ceremonial observance. The governor of Virginia made the day a paid state of holiday this week.
