Legislative Blog
J.B. Williams, J.D.
1776 - 2026
A Blog about Holidays
A Bit of Background
The following backgrounds help summarize the author's views on both the general topic: Other and more specifically Holidays as it relates to that topic.
Brief Summary of Other
Topics here may be related to legal matters but not innately legal. For instance, discussing grocery plastic bags versus cotton cloth bags. The item itself is not legal but many city governments have placed it into legislation.
Summary of Holidays
A spot for small greetings and reminders for holidays
Blog Summary
A few things that happened in each 25 years of the United States. A little something to look back on during our 250th Birthday celebration.1776 - 2026
Published: 2026-07-03
1776 -
- 2026
SemiQuinCentennial
1801 (25 years old)
- Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated, and there was peaceful power transfer between rival political parties. The U.S. began protecting merchant ships from pirates in the Mediterranean Sea - the Barbary Wars.
1826 (50 years old)
- Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams passed within 5 hours of each other. They were 2 of the most critical Founding Fathers. John Adams, unaware that Thomas Jefferson had passed, was suppose to have said 'Thomas Jefferson survives' before his passing.
The Granite Railway began operating in Massachusetts. The USS Vincennes departed New York City, become the first U.S. warship to circumnavigate the globe.
1876 (100 years old)
- The country was healing from the Civil War, rapidly industrializing, and expanding its western frontier. It marked the 1st World's Fair, Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia. It attracted nearly 10 million visitors.
Alexander Graham Bell gave a public demonstration of his invention, the telephone. The Corliss Steam Engine, stood 50 foot tall at the Fair Entrance, marking a massive symbol of American manufacturing might. Novelties like typewriters, Heinz Ketchup, Hires Root Beer, popcorn, and bananas were introduced on mass scale.
Wild Bill Hickok was shot dead while playing poker in Deadwood, South Dakota. A month later, Jesse James and James-Younger gang were nearly destroyed during a failed and bloody robbery attempt in Northfield, Minnesota.
The 1876 presidential election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel J. Tilden was hotly disputed. A backroom political deal led to a declared victory in 1877.
1901 (125 years old)
- This was marked with political assassination, birth of modern American progressive politics, and staggering industrial growth. On September 6, 1901 President William McKinely was hot at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. He passed 8 days later, thrusting President Theodore Roosevelt into the presidency. President Theodore Roosevelt was just 42, the youngest president in U.S. history.
On January 10, 1901, a drilling derrick at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas struck oil. It created an unprecedented gusher that spewed 100,000 barrels of oil a day. This launched the modern petroleum industry; providing cheap, abundant fuel.
J.P. Morgan engineered the merger of several steel companies, forming U.S. Steel, capitalized at $1.4 Billion.
The Platt Amendment was passed in Congress, effectively making Cuba a U.S. protectorate.
1926 (150 years old)
- This was a time of unprecedented economic prosperity, massive cultural shifts and rapid urbanization. The U.S. hosted the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia. This featured an illuminated 80 foot replica of the Liberty Bell.
In November, Route 66 was established - running from Chicago to Los Angeles. NBC was founded from the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), thus creating the first permanent national radio network.
Harry Houdini performed his final, tragic magic show before passing away on Halloween. Walt Disney officially incorporated his studio.
Cities prospered but American farmers were facing severe overproduction and plunging crop prices.
1951 (175 years old)
- The U.S. was locked in the Cold War, and the boom of post-World War II was overshadowed by the threat of nuclear annihilation. The U.S. was entangled in the Korean War, which lead to President Harry S. Truman firing General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur was a legendary World War II hero, but he clashed with the President regarding the direction the U.S. should take.
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg was sentenced to death in March 1951 for passing classified American atomic bomb information to the Soviet Union.
Students learned 'duck and cover' in the event of nuclear strikes.
February 27,1951 saw the passage of the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, limiting U.S. presidents to a maximum of 2 terms in office.
President Truman addressed the nation on the first transcontinental television broadcast. The U.S. Census Bureau accepted delivery of the first commercial computer, UNIVAC I. It occupied an entire room.
1976 (200 years old)
- The Bicentennial birthday found the nation facing the trauma of Vietnam conflict, Watergate scandal, and a stagnant economy. But on July 4, the U.S. erupted in national produce with synchronized celebrations. A breathtaking fleet of historic tall-masted sailing ships from 30 nations paraded into New York harbor and were reviewed by President Gerald Ford. A steam-powered train with historical artifacts traveled through the 48 contiguous states, where over 7 million Americans were able to touch a piece of the nation's history. Everything from fire hydrants to mailboxes were painted red, white, blue and the iconic Bicentennial Quarter was minted to enter daily circulation.
On July 20, NASA's Viking 1 touched down on Mars and transmitted the first ever high-resolution, color photographs of the surface of Mars to Earth.
On April 1 Steven Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer in a garage in Los Altos, California. On November 26, Microsoft was registered.
Construction completed on the CN Tower and Hollywood released Rocky and Taxi Driver. VHS arrived in the U.S..
2001 (225 years old)
- This year brought tech-driven culture boom, a single catastrophic morning fundamentally changing American life, foreign policy and national security.
On September 11, 2001, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked 4 commercial planes in a coordinated suicide attack against the U.S. Two planes struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York city, a third hit the Pentagon in Virginia, and the fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after the heroic passengers fought back. It took nearly 3,000 lives, triggering a massive wave of national unity, grief and patriotism.
In October, President George W. Bush launched Operation Enduring Freedom, invading Afghanistan in an attempt to dismantle Al-Qaeda and oust the Taliban regime.
Congress rapidly passed the Patriot Act, providing law enforcement with sweeping new powers for surveillance and wiretaps to combat terrorism. The Office of Homeland Security was created, restructuring domestic intelligence and airport security.
Apple released the iPod - putting 1,000 songs in your pocket. Microsoft launched Windows XP, one of the most widely used and beloved computer operation systems. In January Wikipedia was officially launched as a crowdsourced global knowledge model.
2026 (250 years old)
- This year marks the SemiQuinCentennial. The America 250 is focusing on storytelling, service, education, innovation, culture and community engagement. There have been 20,000 student entries for the America's Field Trip over the past 3 years for the contest. More than 10 million service hours have been logged through America Gives by 38,310,570 individuals. More than 73,000 flags were distributed through America Waves. And 423 members in the Congressional America 250 Caucus, making it the largest, bipartisan caucus in U.S. History.
July 3 will mark 8 ball drops at One Times Square.
Freedom Trucks - 6 custom-built, double-wide 18-wheeler mobile museums are driving through the 48 contiguous states to reach 20 million Americans at schools, parks, and libraries.
Freedom Plane National Tour is flying original foundational documents to 8 American cities.
In partnership with NIST and the Library of Congress, a physical and digital time capsule is being compiled, and a scheduled opening is made for the nation's 500 year birthday in 2276.
What will you do to mark this commemorative time in U.S. history? I'm proud to remember the 200 and 225 year celebration. And I will remember the greatness of being born in, and continuing to live in the nation that provides it's citizens with the greatest Freedoms.
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