The 1976 United States Bicentennial was the national celebration that preceded America250’s 250th anniversary.
The Bicentennial marked 200 years since the Declaration of Independence. Celebrations took place across the country and included parades, exhibitions, public ceremonies, historical programs, and commemorative objects. The year became one of the most prominent nationwide anniversary observances in U.S. history.
The Bicentennial followed the Centennial of 1876 and the Sesquicentennial of 1926. Those earlier milestones used different anniversary names because they represented 100 and 150 years. America250 continues that sequence at the 250-year mark.
The connection between 1976 and 2026 is simple arithmetic: both anniversaries count from 1776, and exactly 50 years separate them. The celebrations themselves differ in programs and technology, but both use national history as their central theme.