Step 1 : Introduction to the question "What year did the United States celebrate its sesquicentennial?"
Sesquicentennial refers to a 150 year anniversary. The 1926 Sesquicentennial International Exposition held in Philadelphia commemorated the 150th anniversary of the founding of the United States and signing of the Declaration of Independence. Organizers constructed an 80-foot replica of the Exposition's symbol, the Liberty Bell, covered in 26,000 light bulbs, at the gateway to the festival. Bicentennial observances, also centered on Philadelphia, occurred in 1976. The year 2026 marks the United States' semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, of establishment. Observances have already been planned.