America's bicentennial vs America 250: How the country has changed in 50 years
America celebrates 200 years
From fashion to music, the United States’ 200th birthday was awash in the iconic style of 1970s. In this LiveNOW & Then full episode, we get a look back at coverage of America’s bicentennial in 1976.
WASHINGTON - America is celebrating its 250th birthday, or its semiquincentennial, this year, and it’s no surprise that a lot has changed over the past couple hundred years.
The last time America celebrated a milestone birthday was 50 years ago during the country’s bicentennial (200), in 1976.
What they're saying:
Jackson Bain, a former anchor and reporter for WTTG in Washington D.C., told FOX Local that Americans in 1976 likely would not have been able to predict what would happen over the next 50 years.
"I think that they would not be able to predict all the things that have happened since then," he said, adding, "But it really was very clear that things were going to be accelerating, not at the same speed that they had been advancing in the 60s the 70s. Suddenly there was an acceleration as new technology came along and clearly it was going to be a big change because the internet wasn't even thought of, dreamed of until really late in the 1980s. So all of that changed, and it seemed like overnight to me, but it was a very long and difficult development process."
Here’s a look at how America has changed over the last 50 years:
Gas prices
Gas prices in 1976 averaged between $0.59 to $0.61 a gallon, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Energy.
As of July 1, 2026, the national average gas price was $3.84 a gallon, according to AAA.
File: Two women shopping in a grocery store ahead of the United States bicentennial, May 1976. (Marion Trikosko / U.S. News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection / Library of Congress)
Family size
The average household in the 1970s had an average of three children.
Now, that number has decreased to between one and two, according to the Pew Research Center.
Technology
Apple released its first product – Apple 1. It was the first iteration of the tech giant’s personal computers. It retailed at $666.66 and only 200 units were produced.
FILE - his was the first computer made by Apple Computers Inc, which became one of the fastest growing companies in history, launching a number of innovative and influential computer hardware and software products. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)
FILE - The Apple 1 computer signed by Steve Wozniak is on display at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. (Photo by Kim Kulish/Corbis via Getty Images)
Today, the newest iMac costs at least $2,000, and the design is far more sleek compared to its 1970s version.
Space
On July 20, 1976, NASA’s Viking 1 lander touched down on Mars, the first spacecraft to ever do so. It was followed months later on Sept. 3, 1976, by Viking 2.
In 2026, and for the first time in more than 50 years, NASA sent astronauts back to the moon via a lunar flyby on the Artemis II mission.
Entertainment
"Rocky," starring Sylvester Stallone," one of the most iconic underdog movies ever created, was released on Nov. 21, 1976, according to History.com.
In 2026, there’s a slew of huge movie titles set to be released, including more installments of iconic series such as "The Hunger Games," "Marvel’s Avengers," "Toy Story 5," and the third installment of the "Dune" series – which, of course, is based on a book that was already over a decade old in 1976.
Gallery: America’s bicentennial
The Source: Information for this article was taken from Reporting by The Washington Post, History.com, previous reporting by LiveNOW from FOX, NASA’s website, The Pew Research Center, AAA’s website, The New York Post, data from the U.S. Department of Energy, IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. This story was reported from San Jose.