Most of us know the story behind Independence Day, commonly known as the 4th of July. It’s the day that the 13 colonies gained their independence from Great Britain and formed the United States. This 4th of July we’ve highlighted some fun facts about the holiday.
- Independence Day almost was on July 2nd. The Declaration of Independence was adopted by Congress on July 2, 1776, but it had to be revised and that version was not adopted until July 4th.
- It wasn’t until 1941 that July 4th was declared a national holiday.
- July 4th isn’t always a day of celebration. The presidents, James Monroe, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson all died on the fourth of July. Interestingly enough both Jefferson and Adams died in 1826 within a few hours of one another. Monroe didn’t die until 1831.
- When the colonies gained their independence there were only around 2.5 million residents. Today roughly 317 million people live there.
- It’s estimated that about 14,000 different professional firework shows can be seen on July 4th. New York has the largest 4th of July fireworks display that lasts over 25 minutes.
- The 4th of July isn’t a day just to stay at home. Around 41 million people celebrate it at a friend or family’s house.
- When it comes to 4th of July food the most popular main dish are hotdogs & chicken. Around 155 million hot dogs are consumed on this day and approximately 700 million pounds of chicken. In New England however, the most popular thing to eat is salmon.
