Fun Facts About the Fourth of July

Most of us think July 4^th is a day just for relaxing and unwinding with friends and family at barbecues and picnics (and lighting fireworks, of course). But as we all know (or should!), July 4, 1776 is recognized as the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress—in other words, it’s the United States’ birthday!  Although the U.S. is over 200 years old, July 4 has only been a federal holiday since 1870—nearly 100 years after the U.S. declared its independence and became its own country.

In honor of everyone’s favorite summer holiday and the U.S.’ birthday, below are a few facts about the Fourth:

Two of the U.S.’ most famous founding fathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, died on the same day—July 4, 1826.

Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence (representing all 13 colonies), only John Hancock signed it on July 4, 1776. The others all signed later.

Philadelphia held the first Independence Day celebration on July 8, 1776. The crowd was summoned by the ringing of the Liberty Bell, and during the event, the Declaration of Independence was publicly read for the first time.

Fireworks are a longtime staple of July 4^th celebrations.  They were first authorized by Congress for July 4, 1777. The American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) estimates that more than 14,000 fireworks displays are set off each year.      

Picnics are another long-held July 4 tradition, and what’s a picnic without hot dogs? Americans consume approximately 155 million hot dogs on July 4 every year.

Taking hot dog consumption to a different level, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs in Coney Island holds an International Hot Dog Eating Contest every July 4.  Competitive eater Joey Chestnut has won 10 contests. In 2017 he ate 72 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Women’s winner Miki Sudo downed 41 dogs in 10 minutes.

How do you celebrate July 4^th? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!