Drew Gilpin Faust

As a kid, I was growing up in an era of celebration of the Civil War centennial, with a lot of 'Lost Cause' emphasis on the Confederacy. I used to play Civil War soldiers with my brothers as a child, and my older brother always insisted that he got to be Lee, and I got be Grant. I never knew that Grant won until quite some time had passed.

American Historian

Tom Perez

The theme of the Labor Department's centennial is 'Then, Now, Next.' So in honoring Esther Peterson, we look not just to the past but to the future, acknowledging with honesty and a sense of purpose the lingering challenges we still face and the distance we've yet to travel before equality is truly a reality in the lives of all women.

American Politician

Judith Rodin

I have been honored and privileged to have led The Rockefeller Foundation for the last seven years, and I am excited to be leading the Foundation as we enter our centennial year.

American Public Servant

Labor Day 2013 is special. This year marks the centennial of the U.S. Department of Labor - 100 years of working for America's workers.

Often used to talk about city, institution, or country anniversaries, usually with festivities.

Celebratory Context

'Centennial' refers specifically to 100-year milestones, not more frequent annual events.

Not Annual

Centennial anniversaries often celebrate historically significant moments.

Historical Importance

It's common for events like alumni reunions or tributes to coincide with centennials.

Reunions and Honor

Centennials may involve creating or collecting memorabilia to commemorate the event.

Memorabilia Significance

Stresses the exceptional or rare nature of an event, used in a broad range of contexts.

Rarity Emphasis

Highlights the impressive length of time, often signaling stability or endurance.

Huge Milestone

 thousands of plant species to persist in ecosystems and to contribute to ecosystems throughout the world just a little aside here nature Kenya the organization I work for as I chair the insect committee celebrated its centennial a couple of years ago and as

People, Plants and...

 In fact, seagrasses not only grow along the seafloor -- they also raise the seafloor upwards at rates of one to four millimeters per year, and they do so, over centennial timescales,