What was the 200th-anniversary celebration in 1976 called, preceding America250?

The 200th-anniversary celebration in 1976 was called the United States Bicentennial.

The Bicentennial commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s adoption in 1776. Its central date was July 4, 1976, exactly two centuries after the Second Continental Congress approved the document in Philadelphia.

The celebration involved events throughout the United States, including parades, exhibitions, ceremonies, and historical programs. President Gerald Ford was in office during the anniversary, and the federal government organized a major national observance through the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission and its successor administration.

“Bicentennial” means a 200th anniversary, while “semiquincentennial” means a 250th anniversary. The 1976 event is therefore the direct predecessor to America250. It is not the same as the 1926 sesquicentennial, which marked 150 years, or the 1876 centennial, which marked 100 years.