The 1976 United States Bicentennial celebrated 200 years of American independence.
The Bicentennial marked the interval from the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to 1976. It was a nationwide observance involving exhibitions, parades, concerts, historic commemorations, redesigned public spaces, and a broad range of memorabilia.
The word bicentennial means a 200-year anniversary. The celebration became one of the most visible national commemorations in modern United States history, with the familiar red, white, and blue Bicentennial emblem appearing on official and commercial materials.
The 2026 Semiquincentennial is the next quarter-millennium milestone after the Bicentennial. It does not replace the 1976 celebration; instead, it extends the same anniversary sequence from 200 years to 250 years. Confusing the two numbers is easy because both observances center on July 4 and the Declaration of Independence.