Philadelphia hosted the Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition marking the United States’ 150th anniversary in 1926.
The exposition celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and also looked back to Philadelphia’s role in the nation’s founding. It opened on May 31, 1926, and its principal anniversary date was July 4, 1926.
Philadelphia was a logical location because the Second Continental Congress met there when it adopted the Declaration in 1776. The city was also the site of the 1876 Centennial Exposition, so the 1926 fair connected two major national commemorations.
The exposition is often called the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition or simply the Sesquicentennial Exposition. “Sesquicentennial” means a 150th anniversary, while “semiquincentennial” refers to the 250th anniversary being marked in 2026.