What earlier national anniversary did America’s 250th celebration follow in 1976?

America’s 250th celebration follows the United States Bicentennial, which was observed in 1976.

The bicentennial marked 200 years since the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776. It produced nationwide ceremonies, exhibitions, public projects, educational programs, and commemorative objects. The 2026 semiquincentennial continues the same anniversary sequence at the 250-year mark.

A centennial is a 100th anniversary, so the United States Centennial would have been in 1876. A sesquicentennial marks 150 years, which occurred in 1926. A tricentennial will mark 300 years in 2076. These terms describe different intervals and are not interchangeable.

The 1976 bicentennial is especially relevant to America250 because it established a recent precedent for a large, nationwide commemoration of independence. However, the 2026 anniversary is not a repeat of the bicentennial: it has its own programs, branding, partnerships, and historical emphasis while still referring back to the same 1776 declaration.