FACTS AND TRIVIA: FOURTH OF JULY

For you, Ron, Barb, Joe and Acacia . . .

July 4th is America's most patriotic holiday, here are interesting items about that date and day . . .

John Adams predicted that Independence Day would be a huge celebration for many generations to come. In a letter he wrote to his wife, Abigail Adams, he declared that the day should be filled with games, sports, parades, and laughter.

Independence Day was once celebrated on July 5th. The holiday fell on a Sunday in 1779, so Americans celebrated on Monday, the fifth of July.

Three U.S. presidents have died on the 4th of July. James Monroe, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson all died on the patriotic day. (Adams and Jefferson passed in 1826, and Monroe passed five years later in 1831.)

There are some copies of the Declaration of Independence with a woman’s signature on it. Mary Katharine Goddard wasn't one of the official signers in 1776, but the printer and publisher added her name to the Declaration of Independence after she was hired by Congress to print copies.

The 50th star was added to the American flag on July 4, 1960. It symbolized Hawaii's admission as the U.S.'s 50th state.

John Adams thought Independence Day should be celebrated on July 2. He had a point, given that the Continental Congress did declare its freedom from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. However, an official document explaining this move to the public wasn't published until two days later, on July 4, 1776.

Americans consume about 150 million on July 4th. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Los Angeles residents alone consume about 30 million pounds of hot dogs on July 4th. A holiday favorite!

The Nathan's Famous 4th of July hot dog eating contest began over a century ago. According to the company itself, the first unofficial contest took place on July 4th, 1916. The contest, which began with four immigrants competing to determine who was the most patriotic, ended up becoming one of the most widely known July 4th traditions in America.

Only two men signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, John Hancock and Charles Thompson. The rest of the delegates signed within the weeks that followed.

There are approximately 16,000 Independence Day fireworks displays that take place each year. According to History.com, the custom dates back to 1777.

Americans spend over $1 billion on fireworks every 4th of July.

July 4th wasn't an official holiday until almost 100 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. It wasn't common to celebrate this patriotic event for the first few decades of America's independence. When it was established as an official holiday in 1870, it became one of the most popular nonreligious celebrations in the United States.

There were only about 2.5 million people living in the United States in 1776. That number is drastically different from the approximately 332 million people that live in the US today.

Hospitals receive a surplus of patients on July 4th due to fireworks-related injuries. In 2020, an estimated 15,600 people were hospitalized with injuries related to fireworks. Learning proper firework handling protocol can help prevent these mishaps.

The US national anthem wasn't 'The Star-Spangled Banner' until 1931. It took 117 years for the words written in 1814 by Francis Key Scott to gain federal recognition.

The One World Trade Center (which replaced the Twin Towers) in New York was designed to be 1,776 feet tall. Its height represents the year America declared independence from Great Britain.

The Liberty Bell hasn't been rung since 1846. Every year on July 4, children who are descendants of the Declaration signers tap the Liberty Bell 13 times. It's a sentimental tradition to help honour the original 13 colonies. The last time the bell rang was on Washington's birthday in February 1846, when a major crack appeared on the bell.

The first newspaper to print the Declaration of Independence was the Pennsylvania Evening Post in the paper's Saturday issue, on July 6, 1776. It was soon published in other newspapers throughout the colonies, with even a German translation of it printed in the Pennsylvanischer Staatsbote, which was a newspaper that catered to Pennsylvania's large German population.

George Washington celebrated the 4th of July in 1778 even though he was at war, treating U.S. soldiers to a double ration of rum and a cannon salute.

It was once considered disrespectful to keep your business open on the 4th of July. Before the Civil War, people who kept their businesses open during the holiday were deemed unpatriotic. However, it became more acceptable after the war when storeowners started holding "patriotic" Fourth of July sales.

It's a tradition in New England to eat salmon and peas on the 4th of July, a tradition dating back centuries. Many swear by the recipe, and have made it a staple for the American holiday.

There are other countries that celebrate America's independence on the Fourth of July.

Countries like Denmark, England, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden all take part in hosting commemorations for the holiday. This is in part to honour their many citizens who emigrated to the U.S., but also as a move to attract tourists.

There is one U.S. president who was born on the 4th of July. America's 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, was born on July 4, 1872.

A time capsule was buried by Paul Revere and Sam Adams on July 4, 1795 under the Massachusetts State House in Boston. It was discovered more than two centuries later by workers fixing a leak. When state officials opened it, they discovered a pine tree shilling coin, a copper medal engraved with an image of George Washington, several newspapers, and a silver plate thought to be engraved by Paul Revere.

There are 31 towns in the U.S. that contain the word 'liberty.' The largest town is Liberty, Missouri, with a population of 32,865.

(Ron, Barb, Joe and Acacia live in Kansas City, Missouri).