The United States Bicentennial celebrated 200 years of American independence before America250.
The bicentennial took place primarily in 1976, two centuries after the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776. It was a nationwide observance involving parades, exhibitions, concerts, public projects, commemorative objects, and special events across the country.
Philadelphia hosted a prominent portion of the festivities because of its connection to the Declaration and the American Revolution. The celebration also produced familiar visual symbols, including the red, white, and blue Bicentennial logo and specially decorated public spaces, vehicles, and buildings.
The word bicentennial means a 200th anniversary. That makes it different from sesquicentennial, used for a 150th anniversary, and semiquincentennial, the term associated with the 250th anniversary in 2026. The two celebrations are separated by exactly 50 years.