What was the 1926 Philadelphia exposition called that marked America’s 150th anniversary?

The 1926 Philadelphia exposition that marked America’s 150th anniversary was called the Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition.

The exposition was organized to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. It opened in Philadelphia, where the Declaration had been debated and adopted by the Continental Congress in 1776.

Its name reflects the anniversary number: sesquicentennial means 150 years. The fair also deliberately echoed Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition of 1876, which had marked the nation’s 100th anniversary. Together, the two Philadelphia expositions created a recurring pattern of national historical celebrations.

The 1926 exposition is less familiar internationally than the 1876 Centennial or the 1976 Bicentennial, but it is an important predecessor to America250. The 2026 observance continues the same tradition of using major anniversaries to connect national history, public exhibits, technology, and civic celebration.