major U.S. national milestone celebrations before America250 (the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026). Here’s a careful timeline of centennial (100-year) and semi-centennial (50-year) celebrations of key U.S. historical events:
1. 1876 – Centennial of the Declaration of Independence (100 years)
-
Event: 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (1776).
-
Celebrations:
-
Philadelphia hosted the Centennial Exposition, the first official World’s Fair in the U.S.
-
Exhibits showcased industrial, technological, and cultural achievements.
-
The Statue of Liberty was still under construction in France (gifted later in 1886).
-
-
Significance: Emphasized national unity, industrial progress, and emerging U.S. global presence.
2. 1826 – 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (semi-centennial)
-
Event: 50th anniversary of independence.
-
Celebrations:
-
Marked by local commemorations, patriotic speeches, and parades.
-
Symbolic significance: notable because John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826.
-
-
Significance: Strengthened early national identity and reverence for the founding generation.
3. 1877–1930s – State and city centennials
-
Many individual states and cities celebrated their centennials:
-
Pennsylvania Centennial Exposition (1876) overlaps with the national centennial.
-
Chicago Centennial (1933–34) included the Century of Progress Exposition.
-
-
Purpose: Showcased local industrial growth, population expansion, and cultural pride.
4. 1926 – 150th anniversary of independence (sesquicentennial)
-
Event: 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
-
Celebrations:
-
Parades, pageants, and historical reenactments across the nation.
-
National attention on patriotism and “modern America” in the Roaring Twenties.
-
5. 1976 – Bicentennial (200 years)
-
Event: 200th anniversary of independence.
-
Celebrations:
-
Nationwide: parades, fireworks, and the commissioning of the Bicentennial Quarter.
-
Major events in Washington, D.C., including the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) coordinating events.
-
International recognition: foreign dignitaries attended celebrations.
-
-
Significance: Focused on national unity during a period of post-Vietnam and Watergate recovery.
So, America250 continues a long tradition of marking major U.S. milestones, building on the legacy of the Centennial (1876), Sesquicentennial (1926), and Bicentennial (1976) celebrations.
If you want, I can make a visual timeline showing all U.S. semi-centennial, centennial, and bicentennial celebrations with dates, themes, and locations—it makes the pattern really clear. Do you want me to do that?
