Who designed the official logo of the 1976 American Revolution Bicentennial?

Bruce N. Blackburn designed the official logo of the 1976 American Revolution Bicentennial.

The logo featured a white five-pointed star inside a larger stylized star made from red, white, and blue shapes. Around it ran the words “American Revolution Bicentennial 1776–1976” in Helvetica. The design became one of the most recognizable visual symbols of the anniversary.

Blackburn was a graphic designer who also co-designed NASA’s modernized “worm” insignia, introduced in 1975. His Bicentennial design appeared on government signs, flags, postage stamps, souvenirs, and other public materials throughout the commemorative period.

The logo was used well beyond July 4, 1976. An early appearance came on a U.S. postage stamp issued in 1971, helping establish the visual identity of the long Bicentennial observance before the anniversary year itself. It is easy to confuse the logo with the many independent state, city, and commercial designs created for the celebrations, but Blackburn’s star was the federally commissioned national symbol.