Fun Facts About The Fourth of July | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Fun Facts About The Fourth of July

"For the land of the free, and the home of the brave".

18
Fun Facts About The Fourth of July
History

In America, the Fourth of July is the epitome of summer. The smell of hamburgers on the grill, the sound of children playing in the pool, and the taste of watermelon is what every American looks forward to in the summer. While all of these things are amazing, lets take it back to 1776, when the United States of America became the land of the free and the home of the brave. Here are some fun facts about the Fourth of July, aka Independence Day.


Only two Founding Fathers actually signed their names on the Declaration of Independence July 4.

John Hancock and Charles Thompson are the only two that actually signed the document on July 4. The rest of the founding fathers signed the document on August 2, 1776. The average age of the founding father's who signed the document was 45. The youngest person to sign was a man named Thomas Lynch, Jr who was 27 years old. The oldest to sign was Benjamin Franklin, who was 70 years old.

Independence Day became a holiday in 1870.

As a part of a bill to declare other holidays, like Christmas, Independence Day became an official holiday.

Every country has a "Fourth of July," but some countries celebrate like we do in order to bring in American tourists.

Countries such as Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden celebrate American Independence Day just like we do in the states. This is because in the early 1900s thousands of immigrants from these countries came to America. These countries celebrate Independence Day out of the respect of America welcoming theses immigrants into the melting pot.

On the first "Fourth of July" there were only 2.5 million citizens in America.

In 1776 the population of America was 2.5 million. In 2011, the population in America was 311.7 citizens.


John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4th.

James Monroe also died on July 4, making that a total of three Presidents to die on Independence Day. However, Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872.

The "Star Spangled Banner" was originally written as a poem and later put to music.

In 1931 it officially became our National Anthem. And the original tune of the National Anthem is to an English drinking song called "To Anacreon in Heaven".

July 2nd is the real Independence Day.

July 2 was the day that Congress actually decided to cut all ties with Great Britain. But since the document was not oficially signed until July 4, that is why Independence Day falls on this day instead.

The original draft of the Declaration got lost.

The original copy written by Thomas Jefferson got lost, so the "engrossed" document was the one that actually got signed.

About 150 million hot dogs are eaten every year on the Fourth of July.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

403
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

15336
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3136
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments