What 1976 anniversary preceded America250’s 250th-anniversary celebration?

The United States Bicentennial preceded America250’s 250th-anniversary celebration in 1976.

The Bicentennial marked 200 years since the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Celebrations took place throughout the country, with parades, exhibitions, concerts, historic reenactments, and community events. Philadelphia hosted many of the most prominent national observances because of its role in the founding period.

The 1976 commemoration became one of the largest nationwide civic celebrations in U.S. history. It also produced enduring memorabilia, including special postage stamps, coins, souvenirs, and the well-known Bicentennial flag designs.

The anniversary names describe different intervals: centennial means 100 years, sesquicentennial means 150, bicentennial means 200, and semiquincentennial means 250. America250 deliberately echoes the earlier celebration while marking a later milestone.