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America's 'flop' of a sesquicentennial

NPR | By Rachel Treisman
Published July 3, 2026 at 4:15 PM EDT

Philadelphia hosted a hugely successful World's Fair to mark the U.S. centennial in 1876. The city hosted another one 50 years later for the sesquicentennial, but things didn't go smoothly.

Copyright 2026 NPR
Rachel Treisman
Rachel Treisman (she/her) is an editor on NPR's digital news desk, where she reports news of the day and leads the network's live blogs, helping shape digital coverage of breaking stories and political events. She also writes in-depth features and reports for broadcast, including the hourly newscast.

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