The 1876 Centennial Exposition was held in Philadelphia to celebrate America's 100th anniversary.
Officially called the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, the exposition ran from May 10 to November 10, 1876. Its location in Philadelphia connected the fair to the Declaration of Independence, which had been adopted in the city a century earlier.
The fair took place in Fairmount Park and was the first official world's fair held in the United States. It displayed industrial machinery, agricultural products, scientific equipment, art, and exhibits from foreign countries. Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated an early telephone there, and the event showcased American manufacturing and innovation.
Nearly 10 million people attended. Philadelphia again became a major anniversary center in 1926 for the Sesquicentennial Exposition, making the city especially important in the public history of America's milestone celebrations.