What was Philadelphia’s 1926 world’s fair called, marking 150 years before America250?

Philadelphia’s 1926 world’s fair was called the Sesquicentennial Exposition.

The Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition celebrated the 150th anniversary of the signing and adoption of the Declaration of Independence. It also marked 50 years since Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exposition, creating a layered anniversary connection.

The fair opened on May 31, 1926, on grounds in South Philadelphia. Its attractions included a large illuminated replica of the Liberty Bell, a stadium, exhibition buildings, amusements, and displays from foreign nations. The exposition ran through November.

The event is sometimes overshadowed by the much larger public memory of the 1876 Centennial and 1976 Bicentennial. Its name is also easy to confuse with “centennial”: sesquicentennial means 150 years, while centennial means 100. The 1926 exposition is the direct predecessor in the anniversary sequence leading to America250.