What was Philadelphia’s 1926 exposition celebrating the 150th anniversary of U.S. independence called?

Philadelphia’s 1926 exposition celebrating the 150th anniversary of U.S. independence was called the Sesquicentennial Exposition.

The event was formally known as the Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition of 1926. It marked 150 years since the Declaration of Independence and also commemorated the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exposition.

The fair opened in South Philadelphia on May 31, 1926, and ran into November. Its grounds included exhibition buildings, an amusement area, sporting events, a large replica of the Liberty Bell, and Sesqui-Centennial Stadium, later renamed John F. Kennedy Stadium.

The exposition is an important predecessor to America250. The United States later celebrated its 200th anniversary with the 1976 Bicentennial, while the 2026 Semiquincentennial continues the sequence of national milestone observances. “Sesquicentennial” means a 150th anniversary, not a 250th anniversary.