The United States celebrated its previous major anniversary, the Bicentennial, in 1976.
The Bicentennial marked 200 years since the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Celebrations took place across the country and culminated on Independence Day, when President Gerald Ford participated in national observances.
The 1976 program included parades, fireworks, historical exhibitions, and a nationwide tour by the American Freedom Train. The train carried historical objects through the contiguous United States during a 21-month journey that began in 1975 and ended in 1976.
The Bicentennial is an important predecessor to America250. The 2026 celebration follows the same 50-year sequence but reaches the 250-year milestone. It is not the United States’ centennial, which occurred in 1876, nor its sesquicentennial, which was observed in 1926.