Happy Independence Day, America

I'm finally back in the office—more about what I've been doing later—and want to share with you some little known facts about our 4th of July holiday.

Did you know...

1. The actual vote for independence occurred on July 2nd, but it was adopted on July 4.

2. The Declaration of Independence was not signed on the 4th by all of the delegates.

3. John Adams, who later became our 2nd President, thought July 2 should be commemorated as Independence Day.

4. On July 4th, not on the same year of course, 3  U.S. presidents—John Adams, our 2nd President; Thomas Jefferson, our 3rd President; and James Monroe, our 4th President—died on July 4th.

5. On July 4th. the Liberty Bell is tapped—not rung—13 times on July 4th in honor of the original 13 colonies.

6. Celebrating Independence Day on July 4th with fireworks began in 1777.

7.  Independence Day did not become a federal holiday until 1870.

8. The oldest continuous Fourth of July celebration in the United States began in 1785 in Bristol, Rhode Island.

9. Americans eat about 150 million hotdogs on July 4th.

10. In 1958, a history teacher in Lancaster, Ohio assigned a class assignment to redesign the national flag as both Alaska and Hawaii were soon to become states. 

Sixteen-year-old Robert Helf designed a new flag, using the original 48-star flag and some blue cloth and white cloth iron-on material to create a new flag. He received a B minus for his project, but he thought he deserved a better grade. He mailed his flag project to President Dwight Eisenhower who chose his flag as the winner.

After that, the history teacher changed his grade to an A. His flag became the official flag in 1960.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

However you celebrate Independence Day and wherever you are, take a few minutes to understand what the Founding Fathers were trying to achieve and honor that achievement.