The previous United States bicentennial was celebrated in 1976.
A bicentennial marks a 200th anniversary, so the 1976 observance commemorated 200 years since the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776. It was the immediate predecessor to the 2026 semiquincentennial, which marked 250 years.
The 1976 celebration took place during the presidency of Gerald Ford and involved events, exhibitions, public ceremonies and widespread patriotic decoration. Philadelphia and other historically important locations hosted major programs, while the anniversary was promoted nationwide.
The two anniversaries use different names because they mark different intervals. Bicentennial means 200 years; semiquincentennial means 250 years. Both celebrations center on the Declaration of Independence, although each reflected the politics, culture and public interests of its own era.