10 Plus Things You Didn’t Know About July 4th

Today is Independence day.  Chad Ochocinco is getting married in St. Martin to Eve Lozada and if your not one of his 300 guests your likely going to be throwing burgers and dogs on the grill and downing coleslaw and potato salad.  It’s a day that we as Americans embrace as close as our own birthdays.  While we as a nation and we as individuals celebrate the annual birth of our independence, there are things that you may not about our nations number one holiday.

Here are ten things you may not know about July 4th and 10 more things about the date.  I would offer you to at least look at page 3 for our bonus…I think you might like it.

1:  Two of our nations founding fathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4th, 1826.  Dying hours apart, the two former Presidents who had rekindled their friendship later in life after political fallouts died within hours of each other.  First Jefferson and a short time later Adams.  Adams would be remembered as saying “Thomas Jefferson still lives” just before his death.  Five years later, former President James Monroe the last founding father of the United States also died on July 4th.

2:  Former President Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4th, 1872

3:  While the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th, 1776 it was actually voted on and ratified on July 2nd.  Verbage in the document needed to be amended which took two days.  John Adams refused to celebrate July 4th as the nations day of independence because it was actually declared on the 2nd.

4:  Six months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence Congress ordered all states receive an original signed printed copy.  It was the first time that the states knew exactly who signed the DOI.

5:  July 4th became a national holiday in 1870.  Along with Christmas and New Years Day.  Every state however had already made the date a holiday.  Philadelphia boasted the first annual celebration event in 1777 but it was celebrated on July 8th when the DOI was read to the public for the first time.  Massachusetts was the first state to make July 4th a state holiday in 1871.

6:  In 1938, July 4th became a paid holiday for federal employees.  Already a recognized national holiday, federal employees were given the day off but did not get paid until a bill introduced and passed that granted paid holiday leave to employees.

7:  Thirty one places in the U.S. use the word or part of the word “liberty” in their name as recognition of our Independence Day.  Iowa boasts the most towns/cities with 4.  In addition, there are 11 such names that carry the word “Independence”.  Missouri boasts the largest populace of both towns named “Liberty” and “Independence”, the latter of which is the birth place of former U.S. President Harry S. Truman.

8:  In August of 1959, Hawaii officially became the 5oth state of the United States.  However, the U.S. did not have the foresight to change the flag.  On July 4th, the following year, 10 and a half months after Hawaii became a state, the 50 star flag is revealed not in Hawaii but Philadelphia.  It should be noted that a 17 year old designed the flag for a class project and received a B-.  After it was adopted by Congress, the grade was revisited and he received and A.

9:  More hot dogs are consumed on July 4th than any other day of the year.

10:  In 1895 the poem “America The Beautiful” is first published in The Congregationalist to commemorate the 4th of July

Click “continue reading” for 10 more things you may not know about July 4th and to continue to our page 3 bonus that I know you will enjoy.