10 interesting facts about the 4th of July
Each year families and friends get together to celebrate one of the most festive holidays in America: the 4th of July. Beautiful, bright fireworks will light up the night sky, and parades will be held. Americans will consume more than 150 million hot dogs, enough to stretch from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles more than five times! There are many things about July 4th that people don’t know. Want to look like the smart one at the barbecue? Check out these 10 interesting facts:
- Anyone ever asked for your “John Hancock?” Well, John Hancock was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
- Speaking of John Hancock, did you know that only he and Charles Thomson actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776? The Declaration of Independence was not signed by most of the Second Continental Congress until August 2nd, not even in the month of July.
- The U.S. is not the only country to celebrate this day; the Philippines and Rwanda both celebrate their independence on July 4th, though not related to American history.
- One of the first states to celebrate Independence Day was Massachusetts, recognizing the 4th of July in 1781.
- Strangely, on the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, former Presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826, within hours of each other. President James Monroe died July 4, 1831. President Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872.
- The melody of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was originally used in an English song called “To Anacreon in Heaven,” used by the Anacreontic Society, a gentlemen’s club of amateur musicians in London.
- The American flag has changed over the years. The stars on the original American flag were in a circle so all the colonies would appear equal.
- George Washington, John Lay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison are typically considered Founding Fathers, but none of them signed the Declaration of Independence.
- It’s not Denmark’s day of independence, but this U.S. holiday is celebrated in Denmark. Traditionally, thousands of expatriates living in Denmark would gather at military bases and tourist bars to celebrate as early as 1911.
- The first week of July is the busiest travel week of the year in the United States. Most would think the Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday week might be the busiest. Nope.
Have an interesting 4th of July fact? Drop it in the comments below!
Resources: mentalfloss.com, nydailynews.com