What was the name of the United States’ 200th-anniversary celebration in 1976, the predecessor to America250?

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

The bicentennial marked 200 years since the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It produced nationwide ceremonies, exhibitions, parades, historic preservation projects, and commemorative objects. The celebration’s official imagery often used the red, white, and blue Bicentennial logo.

The 1976 observance provides the closest historical comparison for America250. The 2026 commemoration likewise combines anniversary ceremonies with educational, cultural, civic, and community programs across the country.

Bicentennial means a 200th anniversary, while semiquincentennial means a 250th anniversary. The two celebrations are separated by 50 years. The United States also held a centennial celebration in 1876, but that event marked the nation’s 100th anniversary, not its bicentennial.