July 1 – Americans have celebrated Independence Day on July 4th ever since it became a national holiday in 1870. Mental Floss shares five unusual facts about the celebration.
1 The Declaration of Independence was not signed on July 4 (or in July at all).
“It is now generally accepted that the Declaration of Independence was not signed on July 4 – that is simply the day the document was formally dated, finalized, and adopted by the Continental Congress, which had officially voted for independence on July 2 (the day John Adams thought we should celebrate that).”
2 The oldest annual July 4th celebration is held in Bristol, Rhode Island.
“Eighty-five years before the government recognized the Fourth of July as a federal holiday, a tradition began that continues to this day. The city of Bristol, Rhode Island, has been called “America’s Oldest Fourth of July Celebration” and has celebrated Independence Day since 1785.”
3 Every year there are approximately 15,000 fireworks celebrations on Independence Day.
“According to a 2017 forecast by the American Pyrotechnics Association, approximately 15,000 fireworks displays take place during the Fourth of July holiday (although some are not exactly on the Fourth of July). While prices vary, most small towns spend somewhere between $8,000 and $15,000 on a fireworks display, while larger cities spend millions, such as the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular which averages more than $2 million.”
4 Americans eat an excessive number of hot dogs on July 4th.
“Americans consume approximately 150 million hot dogs during the Independence Day celebration. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, that number of dogs could stretch from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles more than five times.”
5 Three presidents have died and one was born on July 4th.
“You probably know that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826, 50 years to the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted. However, they are not the only presidents to have died on July 4; James Monroe, the nation’s fifth president, died just a few years later on July 4, 1831. While the holiday may seem like it picks on past presidents, one future leader was actually born on Independence Day. The nation’s 30th commander in chief, Calvin Coolidge, was born on July 4, 1872.”
