What name was given to the nationwide 200th-anniversary celebration that preceded America250?

The nationwide 200th-anniversary celebration that preceded America250 was called the United States Bicentennial.

The bicentennial marked the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1976. Celebrations included parades, festivals, exhibitions, historic-site programs, and special commemorative designs. The year became one of the most visible national anniversary observances in modern American history.

The word bicentennial means a 200th anniversary. America250 marks the next major milestone, 250 years after 1776. A 100th anniversary is a centennial, a 150th anniversary is a sesquicentennial, and a 250th anniversary is commonly called a semiquincentennial.

The bicentennial is sometimes remembered mainly for patriotic decorations, especially the red, white, and blue colors used widely during 1976. It also encouraged restoration projects, historical programming, and public attention to the American Revolution. The 1976 observance provides the closest large-scale precedent for planning the 2026 anniversary.