All posts tagged: bicentennial

How Americans Celebrated the Bicentennial — With Fireworks, a Freedom Train and Farrah

How Americans Celebrated the Bicentennial — With Fireworks, a Freedom Train and Farrah

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON (AP) — In 1976’s “ Rocky,” heavyweight champion Apollo Creed arrives for the title fight dressed as George Washington, reenacting the crossing of the Delaware as models costumed as the Statue of Liberty lead the way. After entering the ring, Apollo switches into an Uncle Sam costume. “I want YOU!” he roars as he points to Rocky Balboa, the far less flamboyant palooka he’s chosen for this bicentennial bout in Philadelphia. Then the two boxers pound the daylights out of each other. It’s as accurate a representation of the American bicentennial vibe as has ever been put on film — plenty of fireworks, but not much thought about how 200 years of independence led to this. I was 13 years old in 1976. Kids my age — the tail end of the Baby Boom, or the vanguard of Generation X — grew up skeptical of the government. We had outlasted the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, with the occasional moment of joy — the moon landing, say — to break the gloom. The …

America was much more of a mess at the bicentennial than it is today

America was much more of a mess at the bicentennial than it is today

Published by Sam Flores

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, America is in a pretty foul mood, and I understand why. For starters, Washington is broken, prices are high and rising and AI is scaring the stuffing out of people. Understanding, however, is not synonymous with agreement. In other words, some complaints about America in 2026 have more empirical weight than others. Crime may be too high, but it’s been going down for a while. Actually, let’s start there because crime is a good example of how perceptions don’t necessarily reflect reality. Since 2000, writes Gallup’s polling guru Frank Newport, “Americans’ views of the seriousness of crime nationwide … have averaged 43 percentage points higher than their views of local crime.” People tend to think crime is much worse wherever they don’t live. Although nearly half of Americans think crime is a very serious issue in America, only about 1 in 10 think it’s a big deal in their cities and towns. But the “where” is often less of an issue than the “when.” …

13 incredible photos of America’s 1976 bicentennial celebration

13 incredible photos of America’s 1976 bicentennial celebration

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. Every year, July Fourth rolls along with a bang, literally. According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, the country spent about $400 million on Fourth of July fireworks displays in 2022. Meanwhile, everyday consumers spent about $2.3 billion on fireworks. That’s a lot of fireworks. And, in 2026, that figure is likely to soar even higher since this year (as you’ve undoubtedly heard) is the United States’s 250th birthday celebration. Let’s hear it for the semiquincentennial! The last big birthday the U.S. had was in 1976 for the country’s 200th. While this year is sure to look a lot different, here are some images of the fireworks, festivals, and fumbles of the United States of America’s 1976 bicentennial celebration almost 50 years ago. To …