What anniversary did Philadelphia’s 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition commemorate, in the tradition continued by America250?

Philadelphia’s 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The world’s fair opened on May 31, 1926, and was held in South Philadelphia. Its main purpose was to mark 150 years since the Declaration’s adoption in 1776. It also commemorated the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exposition.

The exposition was part of a continuing cycle of national anniversary observances: the Centennial in 1876, the Sesquicentennial in 1926, the Bicentennial in 1976, and the Semiquincentennial in 2026. Each term reflects a different anniversary milestone.

The word “sesquicentennial” means a 150th anniversary. It is sometimes confused with “semicentennial,” which means 50 years, or “bicentennial,” which means 200 years. The 1926 exposition therefore belongs to the same historical sequence that America250 invokes, even though it celebrated a different anniversary.