13 facts about Independence Day. My July 4 will be low key, first working at the card shop and then watching Yankee Doodle Dandy on TCM. I'll be celebrating the holiday with my movie group on Saturday. It's fun to enjoy the camaraderie of friends and good food.
And, speaking of fun, I enjoyed reading these.
About the 4th of July ...
1. There were 2.5 million Americans on July 4, 1776. There will be more than 340 million on July 4, 2024.
2. In the 18th century, it was considered unpatriotic to shop or conduct business on July 4. Today, our biggest retailers (Walmart, Target) and fast food chains (McDonald's, Taco Bell) will be open.
3. Emergency rooms are busy on July 4, due in large part to accidents with fireworks.
4. We like "liberty." 35 towns are named Liberty and 7 named Libertyville.
5. July 4th is the biggest day of the year for hot dog consumption. I've got weiners and buns ready to go!
6. Lots of musicians were born on July 4, from Stephen Foster to Post Malone. Former First Daughter Malia Obama was born on July 4, too.
7. Three of our founding fathers died on July 4 (John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe).
8. Zachary Taylor died on July 9 of a stomach ailment, likely the result of spoiled fruit eaten at a July 4 celebration.
9. As President of the Continental Congress, John Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. (What a pretty signature it is, too!)
10. Edward Rutledge of the SC delegation was the youngest person to sign the Declaration of Independence.
11. We have had 27 iterations of our flag. The one we have now -- 13 stripes for the original colonies and 50 stars representing the states -- was adopted in 1960.
12. This is a time of celebration for North America. The Canadians celebrate the anniversary of their Constitution Act on July 1.
13. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was the first to declare July 4 a holiday. Today it's observed in all 50 states, American Samoa, Guam, Palau, Micronesia, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. (Perhaps more. Please don't regard this as an exhaustive list of our territories.)
Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.
