Independence Day 2021 Trivia | 70 facts about the holiday

Independence Day or the Fourth of July is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the United States.

So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about this holiday.

1. Independence Day is a federal holiday in the United States
2. Commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the United States, on July 4, 1776
3. It is also called the Fourth of July
4. The Continental Congress declared that the thirteen American colonies were no longer subject (and subordinate) to the monarch of Britain, King George III
5. They were now united, free, and independent states
6. The Congress had voted to declare independence two days earlier, on July 2
7. But it was not declared until July 4
8. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches, and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States
9. Independence Day is the national day of the United States
10. During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain in 1776 actually occurred on July 2
11. When the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain’s rule
12. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author
13. Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration to remove its vigorous denunciation of the slave trade, finally approving it two days later on July 4
14. Adams’s prediction was off by two days
15. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2
16. The date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress
17. Historians have long disputed whether members of Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day
18. Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776
19. And not on July 4 as is commonly believed
20. By a remarkable coincidence, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the only two signatories of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as presidents of the United States
21. Both died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration, Jefferson even mentioning the fact
22. Although not a signatory of the Declaration of Independence, James Monroe, another Founding Father who was elected president, also died on July 4, 1831
23. Making him the third President who died on the anniversary of independence
24. The only U.S. president to have been born on Independence Day was Calvin Coolidge, who was born on July 4, 1872
25. Independence Day is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays
26. Similar to other summer-themed events, Independence Day celebrations often take place outdoors
27. According to 5 U.S.C. § 6103, Independence Day is a federal holiday, so all non-essential federal institutions (such as the postal service and federal courts) are closed on that day
28. Many politicians make it a point on this day to appear at a public event to praise the nation’s heritage, laws, history, society, and people
29. Families often celebrate Independence Day by hosting or attending a picnic or barbecue
30. Many take advantage of the day off and, in some years, a long weekend to gather with relatives or friends. Decorations (e.g., streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag
31. Parades are often held in the morning, before family get-togethers, while fireworks displays occur in the evening after dark at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares
32. The night before the Fourth was once the focal point of celebrations, marked by raucous gatherings often incorporating bonfires as their centerpiece
33. In New England, towns competed to build towering pyramids, assembled from barrels and casks
34. They were lit at nightfall to usher in the celebration
35. The highest were in Salem, Massachusetts, with pyramids composed of as many as forty tiers of barrels
36. These made the tallest bonfires ever recorded
37. The custom flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries and is still practiced in some New England towns
38. Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as “The Star-Spangled Banner”
39. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812
40. Firework shows are held in many states, and many fireworks are sold for personal use or as an alternative to a public show
41. Safety concerns have led some states to ban fireworks or limit the sizes and types allowed
42. In addition, local and regional weather conditions may dictate whether the sale or use of fireworks in an area will be allowed
43. Some local or regional firework sales are limited or prohibited because of dry weather or other specific concerns
44. On these occasions the public may be prohibited from purchasing or discharging fireworks
45. But professional displays (such as those at sports events) may still take place, if certain safety precautions have been taken
46. A salute of one gun for each state in the United States, called a “salute to the union,” is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base
47. New York City has the largest fireworks display in the country sponsored by Macy’s, with more than 22 tons of pyrotechnics exploded in 2009
48. It generally holds displays in the East River. Other major displays are in Seattle on Lake Union; in San Diego over Mission Bay; in Boston on the Charles River; in Philadelphia over the Philadelphia Museum of Art; in San Francisco over the San Francisco Bay; and on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
49. During the annual Windsor–Detroit International Freedom Festival, Detroit, Michigan hosts one of the largest fireworks displays in North America, over the Detroit River, to celebrate Independence Day in conjunction with Windsor, Ontario’s celebration of Canada Day
50. The first week of July is typically one of the busiest United States travel periods of the year
51. As many people use what is often a three-day holiday weekend for extended vacation trips
52. Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island, is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States
53. Since 1868, Seward, Nebraska, has held a celebration on the same town square
54. In 1979 Seward was designated “America’s Official Fourth of July City-Small Town USA” by resolution of Congress
55. Seward has also been proclaimed “Nebraska’s Official Fourth of July City” by Governor J. James Exon in proclamation
56. Seward is a town of 6,000 but swells to 40,000+ during the July 4 celebrations
57. Since 1912, the Rebild Society, a Danish-American friendship organization, has held a July 4 weekend festival that serves as a homecoming for Danish-Americans in the Rebild Hills of Denmark
58. Since 1959, the International Freedom Festival is jointly held in Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, during the last week of June each year as a mutual celebration of Independence Day and Canada Day (July 1)
59. It culminates in a large fireworks display over the Detroit River
60. The famous Macy’s fireworks display usually held over the East River in New York City has been televised nationwide on NBC, and locally on WNBC-TV since 1976
61. In 2009, the fireworks display was returned to the Hudson River for the first time since 2000 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s exploration of that river
62. The Boston Pops Orchestra has hosted a music and fireworks show over the Charles River Esplanade called the “Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular” annually since 1973
63. Canons are traditionally fired during the 1812 Overture
64. The event was broadcast nationally from 1991 until 2002 on A&E
65. Since 2002 by CBS and its Boston station WBZ-TV. WBZ/1030 and WBZ-TV broadcast the entire event locally
66. From 2002 through 2012, CBS broadcast the final hour of the concert nationally in primetime
67. The national broadcast was put on hiatus beginning in 2013, which Pops executive producer David G. Mugar believed was the result of decreasing viewership caused by NBC’s encore presentation of the Macy’s fireworks
68. The national broadcast was revived for 2016, and expanded to two hours
69. In 2017, Bloomberg Television took over coverage duty, with WHDH carrying local coverage beginning in 2018
70. On the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., A Capitol Fourth, a free concert broadcast live by PBS, NPR and the American Forces Network, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually