Karen Steele was known as the “Bicentennial Baby” after being born 12 seconds after midnight on July 4, 1976.
Her birth occurred at the very beginning of the day marking the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The timing made her a memorable human symbol of the United States Bicentennial, and media outlets quickly publicized the story.
Steele appeared on nationally watched television programs including The Today Show and Good Morning America. She also received congratulations and commemorations from President Gerald Ford, New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne, and other public figures.
The label was an informal nickname rather than an official government title. It also illustrates the difference between the Bicentennial celebration and the country’s legal founding history: the celebration focused on the 1776 Declaration, while the Constitution created the present federal government in 1787. Steele’s birth remains one of the more unusual personal stories associated with the 1976 anniversary.